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IN THE 


Literary World 

OR 

WHAT TO READ. 


A Cyclopedia of Literary People, 

WITH 


A MENTION OF THEIR WRITINGS. 



DAPHNE DALE, 





v 


Editor of “Golden Gems in Poem, Prose and Pencil,” “Autumn Leaves,” 
“Leisure Hours,” “Beauties of Nature and Art,” Etc. 


BEEZLEY*PUBLISHING CO., 
189?- 






4-rn 

&91 





Copyrighted 1895, 

BY 

Beezley Publishing Co. 





* / 1 


PREFACE. 


S HE AIM AND SCOPE of this volume is to bring its 
readers into closer relation with their favorite authors,—to 
widen their acquaintance among literary people by presenting 
many of the writers of today, as well as to be of practical 
assistance in deciding what books to read. A library, though 
small, if carefully selected, will be a source of profit and 
pleasure; but, alas! how many collections of books cannot 
properly be called libraries. This volume is intended as 
a guide,—a help in determining what books should be pur¬ 
chased to make up a library to suit the taste and fancy of the 
purchaser. We have viewed the literary world as a bounteous 
harvest; have visited and marked the most fertile spots, making 
it easy for those who glean to choose the tallest, ripest grain. 

Believing that ofttimes a new and deeper meaning is given 
to an author’s writings when we see his face and can study his 
features, we have added to the text the portraits of many of the 
popular writers, especial care having been taken to present our 


4 


PREFACE. 


American writers and give them due prominence. It is not long 
until they become as acquaintances, and peeping at us from 
between the pages, beckon us on to a closer perusal of their 
books. 

To the teacher or student the volume will be an aid as a book 
of reference. To the parents it will be of inestimable value, as it 
will place their children on the road to good literature. 

With the hope that it may encourage the gathering together 
of good books in the home and a cultivation of a desire for a 
closer acquaintance with these men and women of noblest, grand¬ 
est and purest thoughts, this book is started on its mission with 
a “God-speed.” 


DAPHNE DALE. 



CONTENTS 


Addison, Joseph 
Agassiz, Louis J. B. 
Alcott, Louisa May 
Alcott, Thomas Bailey 
Arnold, Edwin 
Audubon, John James 


Bancroft, George 
Black, William 
Boker George H. 

Brown, Charles Farrar . 
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett 
Browning, Bobert 
Bryant, William Cullen 
Bulwer, Lytton 
Bunyan, John 
Burns, Bobert . 

Byron, Lord 

Carlyle, Thomas 
Carleton, Will 
Cable, George W. 

Chanler, Amelie Bives 
Carey, Alice and Phoebe 
Campbell, Thomas 
Chaucer, Goeffrey 
Clemens, Samuel L. . 
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor 



G 


CONTENTS. 


Collins, William Wilk 
Cooper, James Fenimore 
Craddock, Chas. Egbert 
Cowper, William 

Dante, Alighieri 
De Quincy, Thomas 
Dickens, Charles 
Disraeli, Benjamin 
Drake, Joseph Rodman 
Dryden, John 

Eliot, George 
Emerson, Ralph Waldo 
Eggleston, Edward 
Everett, Edward 
Franklin, Benjamin 


Gibbon, Edward 
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang 
Goldsmith, Oliver 
Gray, Thomas 

Hale, Edward Everett 
Harris, Joel Chandler . 
Hawthorne, Julian 
Hallack, Fitz Greene 
Hawthorne, Nathaniel 
Harte, Francis Bret 
Hemans, Felicia Dorothea 
Howells, William Dean 
Holmes, Oliver Wendell 
Hood, Thomas 
Holland, Josiah Gilbert 
Howe, Julia Ward . 
Hugo, Victor 
Hunt, Leigh 



100 

103 

108 

109 

114 

121 

124 

182 

185 

136 

141 

146 

152 

155 

160 

168 

174 

181 

187 

190 

193 

194 
197 
200 
211 
212 

217 

218 
224 
231 
236 
289 
244 









CONTENTS. 


1 


Ingelow, Jean 



0 




• 




247 

Living, Washington 


• 


• 


© 


• 


• 

249 

Jonson, Ben 

• 


• 


0 




• 


254 

Jackson, Helen Hunt 


• 


• 


• 


• 



256 

Johnson, Richard M. . 

% 


• 


• 


• 


• 

C 

257 

Johnson, Samuel . 


• 


• 


• 


• 


• 

258 

Keats, John . 

• 


• 


• 


• 


• 

• 

262 

King, Gkace • . , 


• 


* 


• 


• 


• 

264 

Lamb, Charles 

. 


• 


• 


• 


• 

• 

265 

Lamartine, Alfonse M. 


, 


# 


• 


# 


. 

270 

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth 

• 


• 


• 


• 


ft 

• 

276 

Lowell, James Russell 


c 


• 


• 


• 


• 

285 

Macaulay, Thomas B. 



t 


ft 


• 


• 


295 

Mann, Horace . . • 


• 


0 


• 


• 


• 

804 

Milton, John 

• 


• 


• 


• 


• 

• 

807 

Mitchell, Donald G. . « 


• 


• 


• 


9 


ft 

312 

Miller, Joaquin 

• 


• 


• 


• 


• 

ft 

816 

Moore, Thomas . . • 


• 


• 


• 


ft 


• 

318 

Motley, John L. 

• 


• 


• 


9 


ft 

ft 

325 

Montgomery, James 


• 


• 


• 


9 


ft 

828 

Nye, Willzam 

• 


• 


• 


O 


• 

• 

388 

Page, Thomas Nelson 


• 


• 


• 


ft 


• 

334 

Payne, John Howard 

e 




• 


o 


• 

ft 

337 

Poe, Edgar Allen 


• 


• 


• 


• 


ft 

338 

Pope, Alexander 



• 


• 


• 


• 

ft 

342 

Prescott, William H. 


• 


ft 


• 


• 


• 

347 

Read, Thomas Buchanan . 

* 


• 


• 


• 


• 

ft 

350 

Roe, E. P. 


• 


• 


• 


• 


ft 

352 

Riley, James Whitcomb 

• 


* 


ft 


• 


• 

• 

355 

Ruskin, John . . • 


• 


• 


• 


• 


* 

356 

Saxe, John Godfrey 

• 


• 


• 


ft 


• 

c 

360 

Scott, Sir Walter «. • 


• 


• 


• 


• 


ft 

363 

Schiller, Johann . . 

• 


• 


• 


• 


• 

ft 

372 

Shaw, Henry 


• 


• 


0 


• 


0 

378 

Shakespeare, William . 

• 


• 


• 


• 


• 


379 

Shelley, Percy B. 


. 


• 


t 


• 


« 

383 












8 


CONTENTS. 


Sigourney, Lydia H. 
Southey, Robert 
Spencer, Edmund 
Stockton, Frank 
Stowe, Harriet Beecher 
Steadman, Edmund C. 
Swift, Jonathan 


889 

390 

396 

403 

404 

407 

408 


Taylor, Bayard 
Taylor, Benjamin F. 
Tennyson, Alfred 
Thackeray, William M. 
Tourgee, Albion W. 


410 

415 

416 

423 

481 


Wallace, Lew 
Watson, Robert B. 

Watts, Isaac 

Whittier, John Greenleaf 
Whipple, Edwin P. 
Whitman, Walt 
Willis, Nathaniel P. 
Wordsworth, William • 

Young, Edward • 


432 

435 

439 

439 

446 

447 

448 
455 

460 





INDEX TO PORTRAITS 


Addison, Joseph 
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey 
Bancroft, George . 

Black, William 

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett 

Browning, Robert 

Bryant, William Cullen 

Bulwer, Lytton 

Burns, Robert 

Byron, Lord 

Carlyle, Thomas 

Carleton, Will 

Carey, Alice 

Carey, Phoebe . 

Campbell, Thomas 
Chaucer, Goeffrey 
Clemens, Samuel L. 
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor 
Collins, William Wilkie . 
Cooper, James Fenimore 
Cowper William . 

Dante, Alighieri 
Dickens, Charles . . 

Dryden, John . 

Eliot, George . . 

Emerson, Ralph Waldo 
Eggleston, Edward 
Everett, Edw»rd 



13 

18 

25 

27 

83 

37 

41 

47 

57 

63 

68 

71 

77 

78 
83 
87 
91 
95 

101 

105 

111 

117 

127 

187 

141 

147 

153 

157 







INDEX TO PORTRAITS. 


Goethe, Johann 
Goldsmith, Oliver 
Hale, Edward Everett 
Hawthorne, Julian 
Halleck, Eitz Greene 
Hawthorne, Nathaniel 
Harte, Francis Bret 
Holmes, 0 . W. 

Hood, Thomas 
Holland, J. G. 

Howe, Julia Ward 
Hugo, Victor . 

Irving, Washington 
Lamertine, Alfonse . 
Longfellow, Henry W. . 
Lowell, James Russell 
Macaulay, Thomas B. 
Milton, John 
Mitchell, Donald G. 
Moore, Thomas 
Nye, A Villi am 
Payne, John Howard 
Poe, Edgar A. 

Pope Alexander 
Roe, E. P. 

Ruskin, John . 

Saxe, John G. 

Scott, Walter 
Schiller, Johann 
Shaw, Henry 
Shakespeare, William 
Shelley, Percy B. 

Southey, Robert . 
Spencer, Edmund 
Stockton, Frank 
Stowe, Harriet B- 
Taylor, James Bayard 
Taylor, Benjamin F. . 
Tennyson, Alfred 
Thackeray, William M. 
Tourgee, Albion W. 

Watts, Isaac 

Whittier, John Greenleaf 
Whitman, Walt 
Willis, N. P. 

Wordsworth, William 


175 
183 
191 
. 195 

199 
. 203 

209 
. 219 

225 
. 233 

237 
241 
251 
271 
277 
. 287 

297 
. 309 

813 
. 319 

331 
335 
339 
343 
358 
357 
361 
365 
373 
379 
377 
385 
393 
397 
401 
405 
411 
415 
417 
425 
429 
437 
441 
449 
453 
457 










IN THE 


MTERARY *ORLD. 


JOSEPH ADDISON. 


Joseph Addison was born at Milston, Wiltshire, England, May 1, 1672, 
and he died in Holland House,'June 17, 1719. His father was Lancelot 
Addison, Dean of Lichfield. Joseph had ample opportunity to acquire an 
education. He passed through several schools, including the Charter-House. 
At the age of fifteen, he went to Oxford, where “ he was entered a student 
of Queen’s College, ” but in two years Addison was elected a scholar of Mag¬ 
dalen College. In 1693 he took his master’s degree. During the next eleven 
years he devoted himself entirely to study, observation and writing. Although 
his productions in this period gained him local fame, yet they added nothing 
toward his permanent celebrity. There are three distinct features in Addi¬ 
son’s life work. He appears as poet, essayist and politician. We can 
become acquainted with him best by studying his work in each department 
separately. His first intention was to prepare for the ministry, but his 
ability attracted the attention of the Whig party, to which he belonged, and 
its leaders sought to prepare him for political work. Upon recommendation 
of Lord Somers, Addison obtained a pension of .£300 per annum, to enable 
him, as he acknowledges in a memorial address to the crown, “ to travel, 
and qualify himself to serve His Majesty.” In the summer of 1699 he 
crossed into France, where he learned the French language. At the close of 




12 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


1700 he went into Italy. “The classic ruins of Rome, the ‘heavenly figures’ 
of Raphael, the river Tiber, and streams ‘immortalized in song, and all the 
golden groves and flowery meadows of Italy, ” seem to have raised his fancy 
and brightened his expression. Addison next went to Switzerland, where he 
learned of his appointment as envoy to Prince Eugene, then engaged in the 
war in Italy. But the death of King William in 1702 put an end to the 
Whig supremacy, and Addison lost his pension. He pursued his travels, 
however, through most of Germany and Holland, re turning to England in 
1703. Upon his return Addison was engaged to celebrate in verse the battle 
of Blenheim. He so pleased the lord-treasurer, Godolphin, by this poem, 
that he was appointed commissioner of appeals. In 1705, the same year 
that “The Campaign” appeared, he published an account of his travels, 
entitled “Remarks on Several Parts of Italy/’ and dedicated it to Lord Somers. 
Early in 1706, by recommendation of Lord Godolphin, Addison was appointed 
Under Secretary of State. “In 1709, when the Marquis of Wharton was 
appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, our poet accompanied him as secre¬ 
tary and was made keeper of records, with a salary of £300 a year.” In the 
same year Addison was elected a member of parliament for Cavan. This 
position he held for several years. His name appears frequently in the jour¬ 
nals of the two sessions, but he wielded no particular influence in that body. 
Finally, in 1717, he received his highest political honors by being appointed 
Secretary of State, but he held the office for only a short time. “He wanted 
the physical boldness and ready resources of an effective public speaker, and 
was unable to defend his measures in parliament.” He retired from office 
with a pension of £1,500 per annum. We cannot look on Addison as being 
great in political matters, hence we turn back to his literary life. 

In this department no man of his day exerted a wider or better influence. 
He was distinguished at Oxford for his Latin poetry. His first appearance 
in English verse was an address to Dry den. The youthful poet thus sang 
the praises of his great master, and the veteran writer honored the poem 
with a position in the third volume of his “Miscellanies.” In the next vol¬ 
ume of this collection, Dryden published Addison’s translations in tolerable 
heroic couplets, of “all Virgil’s Fourth Georgic, except the story of Aristeeus.” 




JOSEPH ADDISON. 




























































































































* 













































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


13 


Next appeared “Essay on Virgil’s Georgies.” This effort was complimented 
by Dryden, by prefixing it to his own translation of the poem. 

In 1694 Addison published “Account of the Great English Poets. * 
This poem contains about 150 lines, and consists of sketches of Chaucer, 
Spencer, Cowley, Milton, etc. While animated in language and versification, 
and full of poetic fire, yet the poem shows much ignorance of the old English 
poetry. In 1695 he published a composition praising contemporary great 
men, and celebrating the great events of his time. This piece was addressed 
“ To the King. ” This poem produced no particular sensation, and, indeed, 
possessed no great merit. In 1699 appeared quite a collection of his Latin 
verses at Oxford. These exhibited considerable characteristic humor, and 
attracted the attention of some foreign scholars. We have now to pass over 
the incidents of his life rapidly till about 1709, when Steele commenced to 
publish the “ Tatler, ” to find writings which we most admire. The period 
over which we have thus passed with a bound is not a blank. It was filled 
with political effusions, sweet hymns, and some choice writings; but his 
most admired works are his delightful contributions to the “ Tatler, ” the 
“Spectator,” and the “ Guardian.” To the “Spectator” Addison con¬ 
tributed his celebrated criticism on “ Paradise Lost,” besides numerous 
papers upon the theory of literature, and his comprehensive essays, “ On the 
Pleasures of the Imagination.” To Addison, further, belong those essays 
which rise into the region of moral and religious meditation, and tread the 
elevated ground with a step so graceful as to allure the reader irresistibly to 
follow; sometimes, as in the “ Walk through Westminster Abbey,” enlivening 
solemn thought by gentle sportiveness; sometimes flowing on with an unin¬ 
terrupted sedateness of didactic eloquence; and sometimes shrouding sacred 
truths in the veil of ingenious allegory, as in the majestic “ Vision of Mirza.” 
Perhaps the best of all his papers are the “ Mountain of Miseries;” “Shallum 
and Hilpa, ” an antediluvian novel; the “ Reflections by Moonlight on the 
Divine Perfections.” His best poems are the tragedy of “Cato,” and his 
numerous hymns. 

Addison married the Countess-Dowager of Warwick, in 1716, only three 
years before his death. The lady, having forfeited her jointure by the mar- 



14 


IN TI1E LITERARY WORLD. 


riage, brought lier husband nothing but the right to occupy Holland House. 
He is said to have “married discord in a noble wife.” As in Dry den’s union 
with Elizabeth Howard, he received “the heraldry of hands, not of hearts.” 
The closing year of Addison’s life was marked by his alienation from Steele, 
his oldest friend. This was caused by the division in the Whig party. 
Steele attacked the Peerage Bill in a paper called the “Plebeian,” and Addi. 
son answered him in the “Old Whig.” This brought on an angry word-con¬ 
test between the old friends. Addison seems to have regretted this quarrel 
hence he ordered his executor, Tickell, not to publish the “Old Whig” in the 
posthumous collection of his works. Asthma accompanied by dropsy put an 
end to Addison’s life work, at the close of his forty-seventh year, and his 
remains now repose in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey. An Ameri¬ 
can edition of his works has been published in six volumes. William 
Mathews, LL. D., in his “Literary Style,” exclaims, “What an urbanity 
reveals itself in the almost perfect manner, so easy and high-bred, courteous 
not courtier-like, as Bulwer says, of the gentle Addison!” 


LOUIS J. E. AGASSIZ. 


Louis John Rudolph Agassiz was born near the eastern extremity of 
the lake of Neucliatel, Switzerland, May 28, 1807, and he died in the New 
World, December 14, 1873. 

Agassiz’s father was a Swiss Protestant clergyman of good abilities. 

Young Agassiz commenced his education at home, then, after spending 
four years in the gymnasium of Bienne, completed his elementary studies at 
the academy of Lausanne. Before leaving the latter school, he had become 
noted for his special love of the natural sciences, and for his eminent ability 
in pursuing them. 





in the literary world. 


15 


Agassiz decided to take up medicine as a profession, because of the 
close relation between the science of medicine and the natural sciences. In 
order to prepare himself for his chosen profession, he studied at the univer¬ 
sities of Zurich, Heidelberg, and Munich. At the last named place, he took 
his degree of doctor of medicine. While pursuing his medical studies, he 
improved all the opportunities afforded to strengthen and extend his knowl¬ 
edge of natural history. 

Up to this time, Agassiz had given no special study to the line of in¬ 
vestigation which afterward formed the principal part of his life-work. He 
was led into the study of ichthyology by the following circumstance: Spix 
and Martius returned from their famous Brazilian tour about 1820, with a 
fine collection of fresh water fishes. Spix died before he had worked out the 
history of these fishes, hence it became necessary for another naturalist to 
describe them. Though but little more than a youth just from his academic 
studies, Agassiz’s reputation was such that he was selected for the work. 
His attention thus turned to the study of fishes, he threw the energy of his 
great powers into that branch of investigation, and won immortal fame. His 
published works commenced in 1828, while he was but twenty-one years of 
age. This first work was a description of a new species which he had found. 
In 1830 he enlarged his plans, and commenced a “History of the Fresh Wa¬ 
ter Fishes of Central Europe.” The investigations were conducted success¬ 
fully, and the first part of the work appeared in 1839. 

Encouraged by the success of his publications, Agassiz undertook the 
task of studying and classifying the fossil fishes that abound in the stratified 
rocks of his native mountains. The work was carried forward with his 
accustomed enthusiasm. Five magnificently illustrated volumes, the results 
of his researches in the new field, appeared at intervals between 1833 and 
1844. This work made him known to foreign naturalists, and laid the foun¬ 
dation of his greatness. In the progress of his work, he found it necessary 
to make his classifications upon a new basis. It will hardly be expected that 
we give a description of his classifications here. Suffice it to say that parts 
of his system have been retained by recent ichthyologists, though under some 



16 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


modifications. His researches in fossils were very valuable, and he early 
gave to geologists several important and correct generalizations. 

The British Association for the Advancement of Science wisely came 
to the aid of the intrepid young zoologist, by replenishing his overtaxed 
resources. The late Earl of Ellesmere, known in his youth as Lord Francis 
Egerton, purchased the original drawings made to illustrate the five volumes 
brought out by Agassiz in 1833-44. These drawings were chiefly the work 
of the renowned Dinkel, numbering 1,290; and all that were necessary for 
the prosecution of his work, the generous earl left in the hands of Agassiz. 
While thus engaged, he visited England for the purpose of studying the rich 
stores of fossil fishes with which that country abounds. He was young, 
enthusiastic, quick in perceiving peculiarities of new fossils, and he possessed a 
remarkably faithful memory. 

Besides numerous and generously illustrated volumes recording his 
investigations in England, Scotland, Wales, Switzerland and among the Al¬ 
pine glaciers, which added greatly to his fame, he was honored in 1838, witk 
the professorship of natural history at Neuchatel. 

In 1846 he visited the United States for the purpose of investigating 
the natural history and geology of this country, and of lecturing on zoology 
at the Lowell Institute. The pecuniary and scientific advantages offered 
him in the New World induced him to remain here for the rest of his .life. 
In 1847 he was appointed professor of zoology and geology in Cambridge 
University. This position he left in 1851 for the professorship of compara¬ 
tive anatomy at Charlestown, but returned to Cambridge in 1853. Volume 
after volume recorded his work in the New World. In 1865 he visited Bra¬ 
zil, an account of which was published by Mrs. Agassiz. In 1871 he visited 
the southern shores of the North American continent. 

For some time he had hoped to establish a permanent school for the 
study of zoological science among the living specimens. Such an institution 
he was enabled, through the liberality of Mr. John Anderson, to establish. 
That gentleman gave Agassiz the island of Penikese, on the east coast, 
together with $50,000 as an endowment fund. Another American friend gave 
him a fine yacht of eighty tons burden, to be employed in marine dredging in 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


17 


the surrounding seas. But he was unable to complete his plans, for he died in 
1873. It is difficult to over-estimate the advantages which American science 
would have gained had Agassiz lived to carry out his plans. In his last letter, 
written but a few days before his death, he expressed a strong desire to live 
four years longer, that he might complete his work. He was one of the most 
remarkable men that ever lived; and “his daring conceptions were only 
equaled by the unwearied industry and genuine enthusiasm with which he 
worked them out.” 


LOUISA MAY ALCOTT. 


Miss Alcott was born at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1833. 

Her father was Amos Bronson Alcott, an American educator of con¬ 
siderable note. The father commenced as a local trader, and carried his 
trunk about among the planters of Virginia. Having acquired an education 
from books loaned to him, he commenced teaching school. In 1828 he 
removed to Boston, and established a school for young children of five years 
of age. The school would succeed to-day, but then it was in advance of the 
age, and it failed. Finally his ability attracted attention abroad, and James 
P. Greaves, of London, a fellow-laborer of Pestalozzi, the immortal educator 
of Switzerland, invited him to come to England. Before Alcott’s arrival, 
however, Mr. Greaves died, but he was received very cordially by the friends 
of the new departure in education. In honor of the American educator, their 
school at Ham, near London, was named the “Alcott House.” Keturning to 
America he was active in conversational and literary pursuits. He pub¬ 
lished two books, “Tablets,” 1868, and “Concord Days,” 1872. 

Thus we see that Miss Alcott comes from a thoughtful, industrious 
parent. She is also a cousin of the eminent educator and author, Dr. Wm. 
A. Alcott, who died in Massachusetts, in 1859. Dr. Alcott visited about 
2 





18 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


20,000 schools to assist in revising and improving the school work. He 
published upwards of one hundred books and pamphlets on literary and edu¬ 
cational topics. His name is identified permanently with some of the most 
valuable reforms in education, morals, and physical training, which the- 
present century has witnessed. The labor performed by him without ask¬ 
ing for compensation is almost unparalleled. 

From such parentage, and guided by such relatives, it is not surprising 
that Miss Louisa May Alcott performed her life-work most satisfactorily. 
She commenced writing fairy tales in her teens. In 1855, her first volume, 
“Flower Fables,” appeared. Her next literary work consisted of stories 
written for the Boston journals. “Hospital Sketches,” published in 1863, 
won for her a general reputation. These sketches were written in the South, 
while she was acting in the capacity of volunteer nurse in the army. From. 
1863 to 1864 she wrote for the “Atlantic Monthly;” and in 1865 appeared 
“Moods,” her first novel. “Little Women,” perhaps her most popular 
work, was published in 1867. She published “An Old Fashioned Girl” in 
1869, and “Little Men” in 1871. She has also published “Work,” “Morn¬ 
ing Glories,” etc. 

Miss Alcott’s death occurred March 6, 1888, the day upon which her 
father was buried, and it is noticed as a curious coincidence that she was 
born upon his 24th birthday. There had always been a marked sympathy 
between them, and his death was so severe a blow that she sunk into a state 
of nervous prostration from which she could not rally. 


THOMAS BAILEY ALDBICH. 


T. B. Aldrich was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1836. 

He had commenced to prepare himself for college when his father died. 
This event caused him to change his plans, and enter the counting-house of 
his uncle, a merchant in New York. In the three years that he remained 






THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH 














IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


19 


with his uncle, he won some reputation by his verses contributed to the New 
York journals. His poems were collected into a volume entitled “The Bells,” 
and published in 1855. The title of the book was taken from his poem “The 
Bells, which was regarded as his best production. The success of his poem 
“Baby Bell,” published in 1856, was wonderful. It was copied all over the 
country. The fame which he had thus acquired induced him to abandon 
mercantile pursuits, and adopt literature as a calling. 

Aldrich’s life as an author has been one of continued prosperity. He 
contributed numerous and interesting articles to “Putnam’s Magazine,” the 
“Knickerbocker,” and the weekly newspapers. In the papers, he first pub. 
lished “Daisy’s Necklace, and What Came of it.” This prose poem was 
afterwar d published in book form, and it attained great popularity. 

In 1S56 Aldrich joined the editorial staff of the “Home Journal,” then 
under the charge of N. P. Willis and Geo. P. Morris. This relation he held 
for three years, writing constantly; and many of his articles became great 
favorites. 

He has been an incessant literary worker, as will be seen by the fol¬ 
lowing synopsis of his most important productions: “The Ballad of Baby 
Bell, and other poems,” published in 1856; “The Course of True Love never 
did Pam Smooth,” 1858; “Pampinea and other Poems’” in 1861; “Out of 
his Head, a Komancein Prose,” 1862; a collection of poems, 1863; a volume 
of poems published in Boston in 1865; “The Story of a Bad Boy,” published 
first in “Our Young Folks’” and afterward, in 1870, in book form. “The 
Story of a Bad Boy” attracted wide attention. 

Aldrich has been editor of “Every Saturday” from its foundation, and 
he has contributed articles to the “Atlantic Monthly” and other magazines. 

He occupies a high position as a lyric poet, and also as a novelist. 
Nothing grand in poetry has been attempted by him, but he has performed 
all that he has undertaken with much beauty, and almost perfection. 
Among his finest poems are “Friar Jerome’s Beautiful Book,” “The Face 
Against the Pane,” and “Baby Bell.” Among his best novels are “The 
Story of a Bad Boy,” “Marjorie Daw and other People,” and “Prudence Pal¬ 
frey.” 




2D 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


The following stanza illustrates the charming beauty of his style: 

Have you not heard the poets tell 
How came the dainty Baby Bell 
Into this world of ours? 

The gates of heaven were left ajar; 

With folded hands and dreamy eyes, 

Wandering out of Paradise, 

She saw the planet like a star, 

Hung in the glistening depths of even, 

Its bridges running to and fro, 

O’er which the white-winged angels go, 

Bearing the holy dead to heaven ; 

She touched a bridge of flowers—those feet, 

So light they did not bend the bells 
Of the celestial asphodels ! 

They fell like dew upon the flowers; 

Then all the air grew strangely sweet; 

And thus came dainty Baby Bell 
Into this world of ours. 


EDWIN AKNOLD. 


Edwin Arnold, an English poet and journalist, was born June 10, 1832. 
He is the son of a magistrate. After attending King’s school at Rochester 
he attended King’s College, London, and later went to Oxford. In 1852 he 
was awarded the Newdegate prize for English verse with his poem, “The 
Feast of Belshazzar.” He graduated in 1854, and was appointed second 
master in King Edward YI’s College, Birmingham. Soon after this he was 
sent to India as principal of the Sanskrit College at Bombay, with a fellow¬ 
ship in the University of Bombay, which position he held until 1861. On re¬ 
turning to England he was connected with the editorial staff of the “Daily Tel¬ 
egraph.” It was at his suggestion the George Smith expedition was sent to 








IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


21 


Assyria to discover the beginnings of the Bible. In the field of permanent 
literature he has accomplished much, especially in the study of Oriental litera¬ 
ture. His poem, “The Light of Asia,”—one of his most widely read books,— 
sets forth the teachings of Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, the object being 
to present to the world a favorable view of the teachings of Buddhism. It is 
accepted by the King of Siam as “the most eloquent defense of Buddhism 
that has yet appeared.” It met with immediate popularity. In 1881 ap¬ 
peared a volume of “Indian Poetry,” and in 1882 his “Pearls of the Faith.” 
In the latter book he does for Mohammedanism what he had already done 
for Buddhism. He has received special honors from the Sultan of Turkey and 
the King of Siam. 

“The Light of the World,” his latest work and perhaps the most popular 
of all his writings, is a tale of the Christ. It is brilliant in style and gorgeous 
in imagery. 

Notwithstanding his arduous duties as editor of a daily newspaper and 
his studies of Oriental literature he is fond of out-door sports and exercise. 


JOHN JAMES AIJDIJBON. 


Audubon was born in Louisiana, in 1781; and after a short illness, he 
died at his home in New York, on the banks of the Hudson, January 27, 
1851. 

His parents were French Protestants, who settled in Louisiana while 
that province was yet a French colony. 

In his youth he was very fond of observing the appearance and habits 
of birds, and of delineating them from nature. At the age of fifteen he was 
sent to Paris, where he spent about two years in study, and in the drawing- 
school of David. Having completed his mission abroad he returned home, 
settled on a plantation in Pennsylvania, and soon married. 





22 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


For the next fifteen years, he took annual tours into the primeval 
forests of America. These journeys were long and hazardous, and far from 
home and family, but they resulted in a portfolio containing 200 sheets filled 
with colored delineations of about 1,000 birds. With this portfolio, he set 
out for Philadelphia, but while absent from the city on business, the manu¬ 
script was entirely destroyed by rats. As it contained the fruits of several 
years of severe toil, the loss was a sad one, and the shock caused almost a 
fatal sickness. Upon his recovery, however, his native energy asserted itself, 
and Audubon again set out for the woods with gun and game-bag, pencils 
and drawing-book. For about three years he roamed through the recesses 
of the forests. His portfolio again filled he returned to his family, who in 
the meantime had gone to Louisiana. 

After a short sojourn there, he set out for the Old World, to exhibit to 
the ornithologists of Europe the riches of America in that department of 
natural history. 

In 1826 he arrived at Liverpool, where his delineations of American 
birds created considerable interest, and his ability was immediately recog¬ 
nized. Audubon gave public exhibitions of his work in the Eoyal Institute 
of Liverpool, and also at Manchester and Edinburgh. In all of these exhi¬ 
bitions his work was greatly admired. 

He was advised to bring out his work in large quarto, as the most 
convenient size; “but finally he decided that his book should eclipse every 
other ornithological publication. Every bird was to be delineated of the 
size of life, and to each species a whole page was to be devoted; consequently, 
the largest ‘elephant folio’ paper was to receive the impression.” This 
increased the expense of the original work to one thousand dollars per copy, 
hence, at first, his subscribers were few. “ The exceptionally high character 
of the work, however, gradually became known, and a sufficient number of 
subscribers was at length obtained in England and America, during the ten 
or twelve years that the work was going through the press, to indemnify him 
for the great cost of the publication.” A very meager allowance was Audu¬ 
bon’s reward for his skill and labor bestowed upon this extraordinary work. 
But it established the author’s reputation, and brought better reward for his 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


23 


future publications. Cuvier declares that Audubon’s works are the most 
splendid monuments which art has erected in honor of ornithology. 

Audubon spent considerable time in visiting England, Scotland, France, 
Canada, and the various states of the United States to gather information in 
his favorite study. He finally brought out his first work in popular form, 
and it had an excellent sale. 

His “ American Ornithological Biography ” filled five large octavo 
volumes, and his “ Birds of America, ” seven volumes. Continuing his work, 
he brought out “ The Quadrupeds of America ” in atlas folio, and his “ Biog¬ 
raphy of American Quadrupeds,” in 1850. 

Audubon united estimable mental qualities with a deep sense of religion. 
“ His conversation was animated and instructive, his manner unassuming, 
and he always spoke with gratitude to heaven for the very happy life he had 
been permitted to enjoy.” 


GEORGE BANCROFT. 


Bancroft was born at Worcester, Mass., Oct. 3, 1800. 

His father, the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bancroft, was a minister of much 
ability, and a man of fine literary taste. Dr. Bancroft prepared an excellent 
“Life of Washington,” which he published in 1807. Without doubt, the 
tastes of the father had something to do with the literary tendencies of his 
son. 

George Bancroft’s education was ample. He was early trained in an 
academy at Exeter; and at the age of thirteen he entered Harvard College. 
From this institution he graduated with distinction. Later he studied for 
two years in the University of Gottingen, Germany. Upon completing his 
studies in college, Bancroft entered the church, but his strong literary incli¬ 
nation prevailed, and he took up his pen. While in Europe he received the 





24 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He also formed the acquaintance of Hum¬ 
boldt, and other noted men, and traveled over a great portion of Europe. 

He returned to the United States in 1822, and taught in Harvard Uni¬ 
versity for about one year. He opened a school at Northampton in 1823. 
About the same time he published a volume of poems, and translated quite 
extensively from the German, chiefly the historical manuals of Professor 
Heeren. 

At this time, Bancroft began to gather material for his “ History of the 
Colonization of the United States.” The three volumes of this part of his 
famous “History of the United States” appeared from 1834 to 1840. The 
work showed an energetic and lively style, and an occasional democratic 
prejudice. As a reward for the strong American tendencies of his thoughts, 
he was appointed collector of the port of Boston, in 1838, by President Van 
Buren. In 1844 his party ran him for governor of Massachusetts, and, 
although defeated, he received the largest vote ever before given by his state. 
While the canvass was progressing, he was absent from the state, engaged on 
his history. The standing which he had thus gained recommended him most 
favorably, and in 1845 President Polk made him Secretary of the Navy. In 
the succeeding year, his literary reputation secured for him the appointment 
as minister plenipotentiary to England. In 1849, while in England, Oxford 
conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. His appointment gave 
universal satisfaction. 

His literary labors were greatly aided by the kindness of the British 
government in giving him access to the State Paper Office, and to collections 
in the museum, and various private collections. He also had access to the 
State Records of Paris, where he received valuable aids. Upon returning to 
the United States, he took up his residence in New York, in 1849. From 
that time his life was given almost entirely to work on his “History,” the 
last volume of which was brought out in 1873. The period between 1849 
and 1873 was interrupted by his appointment, in 1867, as minister to Prus¬ 
sia, in 1868, as minister to the German Confederation, and in 1871 as min¬ 
ister to the German Empire. Thus we see that he was appropriately honored 
by his countrymen. 





GEORGE BANCROFT. 














IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


27 


The first volume of “Bancroft’s History” appeared in 1834, and the 
tenth and last in 1873, covering, as will be seen, a period of thirty-nine 
years. Upon completion, it became very popular in this and foreign coun¬ 
tries. It has been translated into various languages. 

Mr. Bancroft afterward took up his residence in Washington and revised 
his great work, which he completed in 1885, when the great historian laid 
down his pen for the last time. He could afford to cease from his labors for 
his life had been full of honors, and his pen had created a mounment to his 
ability that will last through time. His labors brought him an ample 
fortune. His death occurred in Washington, D. C., Jan. 17, 1891. He was 
a hearty lover of his country and of the founders of her independence, and 
his native land certainly reciprocates by cherishing the memory of the noble 
historian of her trials, triumphs and glory. 


WILLIAM BLACK. 


William Black, claimed by many to be the most popular living novelist, 
was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, 1841. In early life, he was a 
close student, and was most attracted by the study of botany. He was early 
trained for a painter, which possibly aids him greatly in making the beauti¬ 
ful word-pictures we so often find in his writings. Black is a close observer 
of nature, and uses natural objects and phenomena to good advantage in his 
works. 

On his book-shelves are found his favorite authors. They are Heine, 
Alfred de Musset, Thackeray, and George Sand. The particular works of 
the last two authors which he most admires are “ Esmond ” and “ Consuelo.” 
Marcus Aurelius must not be forgotten as one of his constant literary com¬ 
panions. At the same time, he is a miscellaneous reader. One can see 





28 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


that his books of modern poetry, politics, history, and travel are not merely 
ornamental. A journalist for some years as well as a novelist, Mr. Black 
has found it necessary to be thoroughly acquainted with the current literature 
of his time, as well as with those classic authors of the past whose wisdom 
and power are the splendid heritage of the present. Upon a table near his 
fire-place always lie a few books, the latest “ Harper s; an American news¬ 
paper, etc. 

His literary career may be briefly stated as follows: His first essays in 
literature were some contributions to a Glasgow newspaper on Ruskin, Kings¬ 
ley, and Carlyle. Then he wrote a series of sketches in imitation of Christo¬ 
pher North for the “Weekly Citizen,” the staff of which he subsequently 
joined, and entered thoroughly into the labors of journalism. In 1864 he 
went to London with a view to advancement in his profession; two years 
later, he represented the “Morning Star ” as correspondent during the Prus- 
so-Austrian war. Later he became editor of the “London Review,” and af¬ 
terward assistant editor of the “Daily News,’* a position he relinquished in 
1875 to devote his sole time to fiction, thus picking up the threads of a career 
he had dropped in 1868, when he published his first novel—“ Love or Mar¬ 
riage.” He has published the followings works: “In Silk Attire,” 1868; 
“ A Daughter of Heth,” 1871; “ The Strange Adventures of a Phaeton, 1872 ; 
« Kilmeny ” and “ Princess of Thule,” 1873; “ The Maid of Killeena,” and 
“ Three Feathers,” 1875 ; “ Lady Silverdale’s Sweetheart, and Other Stories,” 
1876. Since 1876, he has published “Madcap Violet,” “Green Pastures 
and Piccadilly,” Macleod of Dare,” “ Sunrise,” “ Shandon Bells,” and “ Ju¬ 
dith Shakespeare.” The last two works were published in “ Harper’s,” in 
1882-4. Considering Black’s age, the above record is an excellent one. His 
pen is still busy, and we may expect many noble works from this young 
Scotch genius. 

A little criticism upon the manner of closing one of his novels is thus 
related by himself: “A short time after the terrible news of the shooting of 
President Garfield reached this country, a prominent American gentleman, 
Mr. Carnegie, called upon me, and among other things he said: 4 Just be- 
before I left home I saw President Garfield. Informing him that I was 






WILLIAM BLACK 





































































■ 

























































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


29 


coming to England, he said, “Youwill see Black; tell him he ought not to 
have made ‘Maeleod of Dare’ end tragically—life itself is full of tragedy.’ ’ 
This could only have been a few weeks before he was shot.’ ” Black acknowl¬ 
edges that Garfield’s words, together with the death that followed so soon, 
made a deep impression upon him. He justifies himself, however, in dealing 
with the phases of life from his own standpoint, and refuses to be influenced 
by critics. 

A friend of Black thus writes of his personal appearance: “I have 
seen him under most conditions, and have always found him the same pleas¬ 
ant, sympathetic companion, the same thoughtful, unostentatious, quick¬ 
witted gentleman. Tightly built, lithe of limb, strong in arm, capable of 
great physical endurance, the novelist is nevertheless below the medium 
height. Short, black hair, a thick brown mustache, a dark hazel eye, a firm 
mouth, a square forehead, Black gives you the idea of compact strength—a 
small parcel, so to speak, well packed.” 

He is well posted upon all the current topics of the day, and has well- 
formed opinions. He is a ready conversationalist, but understands, at the 
same time, the most effective use of silence. He is popular in both the New 
and Old World, and if he continues to improve in his writings, he will cer¬ 
tainly rival the great masters of fiction. 

His present home is at Brighton, where he lives splendidly by the 
fruits of his pen. We shall watch his career with unusual interest. 


GEORGE H. BOKER. 


George H. Boker was born in Philadelphia in 1824. At the age of 
eighteen he graduated at Princeton College. Law was his chosen profession, 
but after he had completed his legal studies he never entered upon the prac- 





30 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


tice of law. Literature had greater charms for him, hence, like Bryant, he 
followed the royal path of letters. 

In 1847 he published the “ Lessons of Life, and other Poems,” a vol¬ 
ume which was well received. Turning next to the stage, he wrote “ Calay- 
nos, a Tragedy.” “ Calaynos ” extended his reputation in America, and, 
crossing the ocean, was successfully played in London. He also wrote 
“ Anne Boleyn,” and the tragedies of “ Leonor de Guzman ” and “ Francesca 
da Bimini.” In 1856 Boker published two volumes of “ Plays and Poems,” 
at Boston. These volumes are excellent additions to the best grade of Ameri¬ 
can literature. “ His dramas are conceived in the highest style of dramatic 
art, and rise almost to the dignity of classics.” During the late war he pro¬ 
duced many stirring patriotic poems, which were collected into a volume, 
and published at Boston in 1864, as “ Po^ms of the War.” 

As a recognition of his merit, he was appointed minister resident at 
Constantinople in 1871, and was afterwards transferred to St. Petersburg. 

“The Ivory Carver,” “The Black Regiment,” and the “Ballad of Sir 
John Franklin,” are most excellent productions, and are familiarly known to 
nearly every one. As a dramatic and lyric poet, Boker’s excellence is 
acknowledged. His death took place in Philadelphia, January 2, 1890. 


CHARLES FARRER BROWET. 


C. F. Brown was born at Waterford, Maine, April 26, 1834, and, after 
an unusually successful career as author and public lecturer, he died at 
Southampton, England, March 6, 1867. 

Brown commenced active life as a printer, and worked at the art pre¬ 
servative in Maine, in Boston, and finally in Cleveland, where he became 
reporter for a daily newspaper. He first learned printing as a trade. 
His ability, however, soon attracted attention, and he was invited to take the 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


31 


pencil as a reporter. In that capacity he wrote a letter purporting to 
come from a traveling showman. The letter appeared in 1858, over the 
nom deplume of Artemus Ward, and attracted considerable attention. Arte- 
mus Ward soon became a familiar name in American literature. His 
writings were humorous and purely original in style. They were copied 
far and wide, thus spreading the fame of the author. In 1860 Artemus 
Ward went to New York, where he took the editorial management of “ Vanity 
Fair,” a humorous publication. Upon the failure of the “Fair,” he entered 
the lecture field in 1861. His lectures were humorous and very popular. 
In 1862 appeared “Artemus Ward: His Book.” The success of this book 
called three others from his pen, as follows: In 1865, “Artemus Ward 
among the Mormons;” 1866, “Artemus Ward among the Fenians;” and 
1867, “Artemus Ward in England.” 

In 1866 he had gone to England, where he lectured with success, his 
fame as a humorist having crossed the ocean before him. While there, he 
became a contributor to “ Punch.” He died of consumption, at the age of 
thirty-three; or if 1836, as given by some authors, is the date of his birth, he 
died at thirty-one. 

Considering his age, his career was remarkable. In the few years of 
his life he wrote four books, and lectured in various parts of the United 
States and England. His last work, as will be seen by comparing the dates, 
was written in the year of his death. All writers express but one opinion of 
him, and that is that he was one of the most celebrated humorists of his 
time. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWHIHG. 


Mrs. Browning was born in London, England, in 1809, and she died 
at Casa Gnidi, Florence, June 29, 1861. 

Her father, Mr. Barrett, was an English country gentleman. Possess¬ 
ing some means, he helped his daughter to acquire an excellent classical 
education; and, possessing considerable ability, he became, as she says, her 
public and her critic. 

“Her studies were early directed to the poets of antiquity, and, under 
the guidance of her blind tutor, Boyle, whose name she always warmly cher¬ 
ished, she mastered the rich treasures of ^Eschylus. The sublime Grecian 
possessed for her a charm which was only equaled by the fascination held 
over her wondering spirit by Shakespeare.” While she was profoundly versed 
in Greek literature, and intimately acquainted with all the Attic writers in 
tragedy and comedy, she was thoroughly versed in pure and undefiled En¬ 
glish. In her extensive correspondence with contemporaries, she shows a 
thorough knowledge of English literature, from Chaucer to her own time. 

Physically she was very delicate, but nature made up for her fragile 
frame by giving her a superior mental and spiritual organization. Miss 
Mitford, her intimate friend, describes her as a “slight, delicate figure, with 
a shower of dark curls falling on each side of a most expressive face, large 
tender eyes, richly fringed by dark eyelashes, and a smile like a sunbeam.” 
Such, in brief, is a description of the attainments and person of the lady 
who, according to E. C. Stedman, was not only “the greatest female poet 
that England has produced, but more than this, the most inspired woman so 
far as known, of all who have composed in ancient or modern tongues or 
flourished in any land or clime.” 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


35 


Almost before her childhood had passed, she showed remarkable pref¬ 
erences for the arts, but especially for the poetic art. Some of her poems 
written before she was fifteen, show strong marks of genius, and are worthy 
of preservation. Her first publication was an “Essay on Mind, and other 
Poems.” This, it is said, was written in her seventeenth year. In 1833 
appeared her excellent translation of “Prometheus;” 1838, her second vol¬ 
ume of original poetry, “The Seraphim, and other poems;” and in 1839, 
“ The Romance of the Page.” 

While thus busily engaged in her work, she met with a personal calam¬ 
ity. A blood-vessel burst in her lungs, which forced her to remain at home 
in close confinement for some time. At length her physician ordered that 
she be removed to a milder climate. In company with friends she went to 
reside at Torquay. At that place an accident occurred which saddened her 
life, and gave a deeper hue of thought and feeling to her poetry. Her 
favorite brother and two friends were taking a pleasure ride on a small ves¬ 
sel, when the boat sank, and all on board were drowned. The shock caused 
a severe sickness, from which she never entirely recovered. It was a year 
before she was able to be removed to her father’s house in London. For 
many years she remained in a darkened chamber, and received no visitors 
except her own family and a few devoted friends. While thus secluded from 
the outward world, she read extensively the valuable books in almost every 
language. 

In 1844 she came forth from her seclusion in two volumes of “ Poems 
by Elizabeth Barrett.” The melancholy thought showed traces of the sadness 
of much of her former life. 

In 1846, her thirty-seventh year, she was married to Robert Browning, 
a noted English poet. In hopes of finding health, Mr. Browning removed to 
Italy. His wish was gratified, for under the sunny skies of Florence, his 
wife found the health which had forsaken her in her native land. In her 
adopted home she remained till her death. 

The revolutionary outbreak in 1848, furnished the theme for her next 
work. “ Casa Guidi Windows.” is a poem relating to the impressions that 
were made upon her mind by the events which she saw from the windows of 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


her house in Florence. It shows great warmth of feeling for the Italians. 
In 1856 “Aurora Leigh” was published. This is a novel in blank verse, 
which the poetess declared to be her most mature work. While the poem is 
full of splendid passages, yet as a whole it is not considered satisfactory. It 
contains a prodigality of genius, with discordant mixture of material. Not¬ 
withstanding the lack of unity, which is so essential for a poem of such 
magnitude, a large number of critics consider “ Aurora Leigh ” the chief 
source of Mrs. Browning’s fame. But perhaps an equal number look upon 
“ Casa Guidi Windows ” as “ containing her ripest growth and greatest intel¬ 
lectual strength.” Indeed the circumstances under which this poem was 
written, were such as to call out her best efforts. She was looking from her 
window, and beholding the Italians struggling for freedom. Being in full 
sympathy with them, her utterances were in accordance with her heart—they 
were lavish and unrestrained. In 1860 appeared her last publication, 
“ Poems Before Congress,” which evinced her deep interest in the people of 
Italy. She died in the following year, and a marble tablet in front of the 
villa of the Brownings records that in it wrote and died Elizabeth Barrett 
Browning, who, by her songs, created a golden link between Italy and 
England, and that in gratitude Florence had erected that memorial. “ Last 
Poems,” published in 1862, contained the literary remains of the priestess 
of English poetry. 

Some of her poems are especially admired. “ Cowper’s Grave,” “ The 
Cry of the Children,” “A Child Asleep,” and “He Giveth His Beloved 
Sleep,” are jewels that shine with the brilliancy of the sun. 

“ The position of Mrs. Browning as a poet is now yielded. Her genius 
was perhaps as great as that of any poet of her generation, but circum¬ 
stances retarded its highest possible development. In certain intellectual 
qualities she was inferior to Tennyson, and the author of ‘ Sordello,’ but in 
others she was their superior. Be her exact niche, however, what it may, 
she occupies a favored place in English literature, and is undoubtedly one of 
the few leading poets of the nineteenth century. Her poetry is that which 
refines, chastens, and elevates. Much of it is imperishable, and although 
she did not reach the height of the few mighty' singers of all time, she has 






ROBERT BROWNING 
















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


39 


shown us the possibility of the highest forms of the poetic art being within 
the scope of woman’s genius.” 


ROBERT BROWNING. 


Robert Browning was born at Camberwell in Surrey, England, in 1812, 
and educated at the London University. He is also a Fellow of Balloil Col¬ 
lege, Oxford. 

At the age of twenty-four, Browning attracted public attention by his 
poem of “Baracelus.” Considering the age of the author, it was a remark¬ 
able poem. In 1837 his tragedy of “Stafford” was brought on the stage. 
His next work was brought out in 1841. “Sordello” was a thin volume, but 
is esteemed the richest puzzle to all lovers of poetry which was ever given to 
the world. 

His next works were in dramatic form, the most popular being “Pippa 
Passes.” “Pippa is a girl from a silk factory, who passes the various p ersons 
of the play at certain critical moments, in the course of her holiday, and 
becomes, unconsciously to herself, a determining influnce on the fortunes of 
each.” Of his eight plays, the one given above, and ‘‘A Blot on the Scutch¬ 
eon,” “King Victor and King Charles,” “Colombe’s Birthday,” “Luria,” 
“The Return of the Druess,” are the best. 

He wrote the two dramatic sketches, “A Soul of Tragedy,” and “In a 
Balcony.” The plays and sketches mentioned are superior productions both 
in conception and execution. 

In 1855 he added greatly to his reputation by publishing a volume of 
fifty poems, entitled “Men and Women.” Another volume of character 
sketches entitled “Dramatis Personae,” appeared in 1864. The most exten¬ 
sive of all his works, “The Ring and the Book” was published in 1868. 

This poem is in four volumes of blank verse. It is an Italian story of the 
3 





40 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


seventeenth century. Its merits and faults are equally great, and yet it 
amply repays the reader for all time given to its perusal. In 1871 appeared 
“Balaustion’s Adventure, including a Transcript from Euripides;” 1871, 
“ Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau, Savior of Society1872, “Fifine at the Fair 
1873, “Bed Cotton Night-Cap Country;” 1875, “Aristophanes’ Apology, 
including a Transcript from Euripides, being the last Adventure of Balaus- 
tion;” 1875, “ The Inn Album.” 

Obscurity, and eccentricities of style and expression are Browning’s 
chief defects. In spite of these defects, the pure poetic gold predominates in 
his writings, and he has proven strong poetic powers alike in thought, 
description, passion, and conception of character. While his extended poems 
are marred by obscurity, most of his shorter poems are particularly happy 
and beautiful. Among these may be mentioned, “ The Pied Piper of Ham- 
elin, ” “ A Child’s Story, ” “ How They Brought the Good News from Ghent 
to Aix,” “Evelyn Hope,” “My Lost Duchess,” and numerous descriptions 
of the sunny South. These are among the very best of their kind. 

Robert Browning stands at the head of what is known as the psycho¬ 
logical school of poetry. Latterly his merits have been more readily 
acknowledged in his native country; and for nearly forty years he has been 
recognized by the world as one of our most original and intellectual poets. 
He died in Venice, Italy, December 12, 1889. 


WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT. 


Bryant was born at Cummington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, 
November 3, 1794, and, after an unusually long and active literary life, he 
died in New York, June 12, 1878. 

His father was Peter Bryant, a physician of considerable literary cult¬ 
ure, and a person who had traveled quite extensively. The father took an 






WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT 































































































V 










I 






















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


43 


unusual interest in the culture of his children, and he was amply rewarded 
for all his pains. There is an unauthenticated tradition that the first Bryant 
of whom there is any account in America, came over in the Mayflower. 
Mr. Stephen Bryant came over from England, and was settled at Plymouth, 
Massachusetts, in 1836. Stephen’s son Ichabod was the father of Philip 
Bryant and Philip, of Peter, the father of William Cullen. 

Bryant’s mother was Miss Sarah Snell, of Mayflower stock, being a 
descendant of John Alden. Thus our poet has an honorable and cultured 
ancestry. Strict Puritanical discipline was the order of the day, hence the 
young poet’s life did not fall in pleasant places, so far as recreations were 
concerned. While the children were held with a steady hand, their educa¬ 
tional and moral interests were considered with conscientious earnestness. 

For some time after his birth young Bryant was very frail, and the 
chances for living seemed decided against him. His head was of such enor¬ 
mous size as to cause his father much uneasiness. Dr. Bryant decided that 
the size of William’s head must be reduced. He thought to accomplish the 
desired result by giving the babe a cold bath daily. Accordingly two of his 
students took the child each morning and plunged it, head and all, into a 
clear, cold spring that bubbled from the ground near the house. Whether 
the size of the head was reduced or not, we are unable to tell, but the world 
of popular literature has ample cause to rejoice over the massive size of 
Bryant’s head and heart and mind. In 1810, at the age of sixteen, he 
entered Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he studied 
for two years. He soon distinguished himself for his attainments in lan¬ 
guage and polite literature. In 1812 he withdrew from college and entered 
upon the study o£ law. After three years of preparation he was admitted to 
the bar in 1815. He practiced first at Plainfield, and afterward at Great 
Barrington. Bryant attained high standing in the local and state courts, 
but his tastes inclined him rather to literature than the law. 

Bryant’s literary record commenced when he was only ten years of age, 
and even before that age he communicated lines to the local papers. “ With 
a precocity rivaling that of Cowley or Chatterton, Bryant, at the age of 
thirteen, wrote a satirical poem on the Jeffersonian party, which he published 




44 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


in 1808, under the title of “The Embargo.” By referring to history, you 
will notice that the English orders in council had been issued in retaliation 
for the decrees of Napoleon. The above action of foreign powers led Jeffer¬ 
son to lay an embargo on American shipping. This formed the subject of 
Bryant’s satire, “The Embargo.” This poem and “The Spanish Revolution” 
were published in 1808, and passed to a second edition in the succeeding 
year. The age of the author was called in question, and his friends came 
forward with proofs that the lad was only thirteen when he wrote the satire. 
“ The Genius of Columbia ” was written in 1810, and “An Ode for the Fourth 
of July,” in 1812. When he was only eighteen years of age he wrote the 
imperishable poem, “ Thanatopsis.” 

In the “ Bryant Homestead Book,” of 1870, is written the following: 
“It was here at Cummington, while wandering in the primeval forests, 
over the floor of which were scattered the gigantic trunks of fallen trees, 
moldering for long years, and suggesting an indefinitely remote antiquity, 
and where silent rivulets crept along through the carpet of leaves, the spoil 
of thousands of summers, that the poem entitled ‘ Thanatopsis ’ was com¬ 
posed. The young poet had read the poems of Kirke White, which, edited 
by Southey, were published about that time, and a small volume of Southey’s 
miscellaneous poems; and some lines of those authors had kindled his 
imagination, which, going forth over the face of the inhabitants of the globe, 
sought to bring under one broad and comprehensive view the destinies of the 
human race in the present life, and the perpetual rising and passing away 
of generation after generation who are nourished by the fruits of its soil, and 
find a resting-place in its bosom.” When the poem was sent to the “ North 
American Review,” Richard H. Dana was so surprised at its excellence that 
he doubted whether it was the product of an American. Bryant also con¬ 
tributed several prose articles to the “ Review. ” While in the practice of 
his profession he wrote some of his finest poems. Of these we will name 
lines “ To a Waterfowl,” “ Green River,” “A Winter Piece,” “ The West 
Wind,” “The Burial-Place,” “Blessed are they that Mourn,” “No Man 
Knowethhis Sepulchre,” “ A Walk at Sunset,” and “The Hymn to Death.” 
While Bryant was writing “ The Hymn to Death,” his father was dying at 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


45 


the age of fifty-four. In the same year he married Miss Frances Fairchild, 
and also published his first collection of verse. In 1821 Bryant wrote “The 
Ages’” and delivered it before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard Col¬ 
lege. At that time our poet was recognized as a writer of great merit. From 
that time till he left his profession and took up his pen for a support, he 
wrote about thirty poems. We here name some of them: “The Indian Girl’s 
Lament,” “An Indian Story,” “Monument Mountain,” “The Massacre at 
Scio,” “Song of the Stars,” “March,” “The Rivulet,” “After a Tempest,” 
“Hymn to the North Star,” “A Forest Hymn,” and “June.” We pause 
here to quote Bryant’s wish that he might die 

“in flowery June 

When brooks send up a cheerful tune, 

And groves a joyous sound;” 

and to remark that in that beautiful month he passed to his rest. 

This brings our poet to 1825, when, through the efforts of Mr. Sedgwick 
and Mr. Verplanck, he was appointed assistant editor of the “New York 
Review” and “Atheneum Magazine.” Bidding adieu to courts and law 
books, he became a follower of Apollo. In 1825 Bryant removed to New 
York to enter upon his new duties. The “Review” did not prosper, and in 
one year it was merged into the “New York Literary Gazette.” In a few 
months the magazine was consolidated with the “United States Literary 
Gazette,” which in turn passed into the “United States Review.” These pub¬ 
lications were not profitable, although they contained the writings of such 
men as Bryant, Halleck, Willis, Dana, Bancroft and Longfellow. Our poet 
next connected himself with the “Evening Post,” and remained with that 
journal till his death. Between 1827 and 1830 he assisted in the editorial 
management of the “Talisman,” a very successful annual, and also con¬ 
tributed the tales of “Medfield,” and “The Skeleton’s Cave” to a book 
entitled “Tales of the Glauber Spa.” A complete edition of his poems was 
published in New York in 1832, and in England about the same time. The 
English edition was brought out through the influence of Washington Irving, 
who wrote a iaudatory preface. John Wilson praised the work in an article 
in “Blackwood’s Magazine” This volume established Bryant’s reputation 
abroad, and made him almost as popular in England as in America, 



46 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


In i834, the poet, rich in fame, sailed for Europe. He traveled 
through France, Italy, and Germany. Beturning to his native land, he 
spent several years in literary work, when in 1845 he again crossed the 
ocean. In 1849 he made his third journey abroad, and extended his travels 
into Egypt and Syria. He also traveled extensively over the various parts 
of the United States and Cuba. The letters written by him in his wander¬ 
ings were collected into book form, and entitled “Letters of a Traveler.” In 
1857 and 1858 he again visited Europe, and, as the result of this journey, 
soon appeared “ Letters from Spain and other Countries.” A new and com¬ 
plete edition of his poems was iDrinted in 1855; and in 1863 appeared a vol¬ 
ume of new poems entitled “ Thirty Poems.” In 1870 appeared his transla¬ 
tion of the “Iliad,” and in 1871 of the “Odyssey.” These great epics were 
translated into English blank verse, which were considered the best English 
version in print. In 1876 Bryant and Sydney Howard Gay commenced a 
“ History of the United States,” but the work was not complete when the 
poet died. The book was to extend through four finely illustrated vol¬ 
umes. 

“ Bryant was frequently called upon to pay public tributes to the 
memory of Americans. On the death of the artist, Thomas Cole, in 1848, he 
pronounced a funeral oration ; in 1852 he delivered a lecture upon the life 
and writings of James Fenimore Cooper; and in 1860 he paid a similar 
tribute to his friend Washington Irving; he made an address on the life and 
achievements of S. F. B. Morse, on the occasion of the dedication of his 
statue in Central Park, New York, in 1871; addresses on Shakespeare and 
Scott on similar occasions in 1872; and one on Mazzini in 1878; on his 
return from which, a fall resulted in his death.” 

Bryant’s prose writings are marked by pure and vigorous English, and 
he stands in the front rank as a poet. We quote from Professor Wilson’s 
review of the poet’s first volume, published in England: “ The chief charm of 
Bryant’s genius consists in a tender pensiveness, a moral melancholy, breath¬ 
ing over all his contemplations, dreams, and reveries, even such as in the 
main are glad, and giving assurance of a pure spirit, benevolent to all living 
creatures, and habitually pious in the felt omnipresence of the Creator. His 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


49 


poetry overflows with natural religion—with what Wordsworth calls the 
religion of the woods. This is strictly applicable to ‘Thanatopsis and 
< Forest Hymn; ’ but Washington Irving is so far right that Bryant’s grand 
merit is his nationality and his power of painting the American landscape, 
especially in its wild, solitary and magnificent forms. His diction is pure and 
lucid, with scarcely a flaw, and he is master of blank verse. 

We cannot close this sketch better than by showing the poet’s devotion 
to his country in his own words: “We are not without the hope that those 
who read what we have written, will see in the past, with all its vicissi¬ 
tudes, the promise of a prosperous and honorable future, of concord at home, 
and peace and respect abroad; and that the same cheerful piety which leads 
the good man to put his personal trust m a kind Providence, will prompt the 
good citizen to cherish an equal confidence in regard to the destiny reserved 
for our beloved country.” 


BULWER-LYTTON. 


Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton was born May 25, 
1805; and he died at Torquay, on the 18th of January, 1873, and is buried 
in Westminster Abbey. 

His father was General Bulwer, of Hayden Hall and Wood-Dalling, 
Norfolk, England. His mother was of the ancient family of Lytton, or 
Kneedworth, county of Hertfordshire. We see from the above that Edward 
came from noble parents, and from two lines of honored ancestry. Geneial 
Bulwer died when Edward, the youngest of three sons, was but two years 
old, and thus the mother had the full care, and the education, of the children 

to provide for. 

The mother was a lady of culture and refinement. Her even temper 
and tenderness were remarkable, and her memory was ever held most sacred 






50 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


by her gifted son. In dedicating his works to her, he said—“ From your 
graceful and accomplished taste I early learned that affection for literature 
which has exercised so large an influence over the pursuits of my life; and 
you who were my first guide, were my earliest critic.” 

Edward was not sent to the public schools, but he received a thorough 
education from his mother and private teachers whom .she employed. In 
later life he was honored by various schools. Oxford conferred upon him the 
degree of D. C. L. in 1853. 

His literary work began when he was only thirteen, and at fifteen he 
published a volume of poems entitled “ Ismael, an Oriental Tale, with Other 
Poems.” In 1825, at Cambridge, he won the chancellor’s medal with a poem 
on “ Sculpture.” At the time he wrote the prize poem he was a fellow-com¬ 
moner of Trinity Hall. He spent the long vacations in wandering over 
England, Scotland and France. His literary record extends over more than 
half a century, and during that time he was most active. As Scott said of 
Byron, there was “ no reposing under the shade off his laurels—no living upon 
the resources of past reputation—his foot was always in the arena, his shield 
hung always in the list,” In 1826 he printed “ Weeds and Wild Flowers,” 
a collection for private circulation; and in 1827 appeared “ O’Neil, or a 
Rebel, ” a romance in heroic couplets, of the patriotic struggle in Ireland. 
“The Siamese Twins,” printed in 1831, and his juvenile poems, he after¬ 
ward ignored. 

In addition to what has already been given, the following is an outline 
of his work: “ Falkland,” his first romance, appeared anonymously in 1827; 
“ Pelham,” 1828, a brilliant novel full of witty paragraphs; “ The Disowned,” 
1828, a novel that did not attain great popularity; “ Devereux,” 1829; “ Paul 
Clifford,” 1830; “Eugene Aram,” and “Godolphin,” 1833; “The Pilgrims 
of the Rhine,” and “The Last Days of Pompeii,” 1834; “Rienzi,” 1835; 
“Athens, Its Rise and Fall,” 1836; “Ernest Maltravers,” 1837; “Leila,” 
“Calderon,” and “Alice, or The Mysteries,” being a sequel to “Ernest Mal¬ 
travers,” 1838. 

In addition to his literary work, Bulwer became editor of “ The New 
Monthly,” as successor to Campbell, in 1833. “The Monthly Chronicle ” he 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


51 


projected in 1838. To this magazine he contributed the fantastic “Zicci,” 
but the magazine expired before the story was completed. The story was 
afterwards developed into “ Zanoni,” a romance of which the author was 
especially proud. It was not, however, fully appreciated by the public. 

In the most busy period of his life, while books were flowing from his 
pen in almost a steady stream, he was a member of parliament. He dis¬ 
closed eminent ability in governmental matters. In 1831 he was returned 
for St. Ivens; and he sat in parliament for Lincoln from 1832 to 1841. He 
spoke in favor of the Reform Bill, and was instrumental in securing the 
reduction of newspaper stamp duties. 

Bulwer contributed a strong political pamphlet on the crisis in 1834. 
His leading political aim was to aristocratize the Community. He sought to 
elevate the masses in character and feeling to the standard of the aristocracy. 
Thus he would make “superior education, courteous manners, and high 
honor,” instead of wealth and pedigree, the special features of honored En¬ 
glish citizenship. 

Between 1838 and 1841 he turned aside to try his hand at play writ¬ 
ing. “ The Lady of Lyons,” “Richelieu,” and “Money” appeared within 
the three years, and they have kept the stage ever since. It is said that no 
Englishman not himself an actor has written so many permanently success¬ 
ful plays. 

From 1841 to 1852 he had no seat in parliament. Upon succeeding 
to his mother’s estate in 1843, he took her name, and was afterward known 
as Bulwer-Lytton, or as he is now popularly known, Lord Lytton. “ Before 
1849, when he opened a new vein with “ The Caxtons,” he produced five 
works in his familiar style : “ Night and Morning,” 1841; “ Zanoni,” 1842 ; 
“ The Last of the Barons,” the most historically solid, and perhaps the most 
effective of his romances, 1843; “Lucretia, or the Children of the Night,” 
1847; “Harold, The Last of the Saxon Kings,” 1848. In this period, also, 
Lytton was making a desperate effort to win high rank as a poet. He pub¬ 
lished a volume of poems in 1842. Besides a volume of translations from 
Schiller in 1844, he published “ The New Timon,” a satire, in 1845, and “ King 
Arthur,” a romantic epic. The keen-edged satire, “ St. Stephen’s,” a gallery 



52 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


of parliamentary portraits from the time of Queen Anne, was not published 
till in 1860. “The Lost Tales of Miletus,” and a translation of Horace’s 
“ Odes ” were Lytton’s last essays in verse. 

In 1848 he took up a new style in “ The Caxtons,” in which he sus¬ 
tained himself nobly. “ My Novel ” appeared in 1853, and “What Will He 
Do With It?” in 1858. The sub-title of “My Novel” is “Varieties of En¬ 
glish Life.” “A Strange Story ” was contributed to “All the Year Round” 
in 1862. “A serial story of the kind made a new call on his resources, but 
he was equal to it, and fairly rivaled the school of Dickens in the art of 
sustaining thrilling interest to the close.” In 1872-73 “The Parisians 
appeared in “ Blackwood’s Magazine,” and “ The Coming Race ” was written 
anonymously. These two works were published by his son and successor in 
the title, as the romance of “ Kenelm Chillingly.” Upon his death, in 1873, 
Lord Lytton had an historical romance, “ Pausanius the Spartan,” partly 
written. Thus he died, after having written about fifty separate works. 

In addition to the work which we have already described, we will write 
a paragraph upon his return to parliament. In 1852 he returned as a 
member from Hertfordshire, and sat on the conservative side. He was 
colonial secretary in Lord Derby’s government from 1858 to 1859; and in 
1866 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Lytton. He was not a great 
orator, but he was an earnest and valuable worker and writer. 

His son, the present Lord Lytton, has, with a just pride, said of his 
father, “Whether as an author, standing apart from all literary cliques or 
coteries, or as a politician, never wholly subject to the exclusive dictation 
of any political party, he always thought and acted in sympathy with every 
popular aspiration for the political, social, and intellectual improvement of 
the whole national life.” 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


53 


JOHN BUNYAN. 


John Bunyan, the most popular religious writer in the English lan¬ 
guage, was born at Elstow, about a mile from Bedford, England, in the year 
1628; and he died Aug. 31, 1688. His father was a tinker, a hereditary 
caste of the lowest grade of people in England. They wandered about the 
country in a kind of gipsy-life, and “ were generally vagrants and pilferers.” 
Bunyan’s father was of a better grade than most of the tribe. Having gained 
some means, he quit his wandering life and settled in a fixed residence where 
he could send his son to the village school. Here the boy learned to read 
and write. His scholastic training, however, was extremely meager, and his 
manuscript was full of errors in grammar and orthography. John’s boy¬ 
hood belongs to the period in English history when the Puritan spirit was in 
its highest vigor. The boy’s powerful imagination and sensibility amounted 
almost to a disease, hence it is not surprise ig that, under Puritanic influence, 
he should have been haunted by religious terrors. Even before he was ten 
years old, he had fits of remorse and despair, and in his dreams he imagined 
that fiends were trying to fly away with him. The common belief is that 
Bunyan was a very wicked character in his early life,—that he was a worth¬ 
less contemptible profligate, and the most thoughtless wretch on the face of 
the earth. Nothing could be farther from the truth than is the above opin¬ 
ion. In his writing, as a devout man, he bemoans the exceeding sinfulness 
of his early life. His strong regrets for his sins have misled public opinion, 
while in reality, at the age of eighteen, he was a person of gravity and inno¬ 
cence. Outside of the most austerely puritanical circles, he would have been 
considered a person of reasonably good habits. The worst that can be said 
of him is that he had formed the habit of swearing, but a single reproof from 




54 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


a lady “ cured him so effectually that he never offended again. At the age 
of seventeen the tinker’s son enlisted in the Parliamentary army. An event 
occurred in the decisive campaign of 1645, which gave a lasting color to his 
thoughts. One of Bunyan’s comrades having taken Bunyan’s place was 
killed by a shot from the town. Bunyan considered that he was saved by 
special interposition of Providence. The glimpses which he caught of the 
pomp of war, served him a good turn, in furnishing material from which to 
draw illustrations of sacred things. After a few months of army life he 
returned home and married. His wife brought him a few pious hooks. One 
by one he broke off from all habits and modes of life that were objectionable 
to the Puritans. He became constant in his attendance at prayers and ser¬ 
mons. Upon turning his naturally excitable mind wholly toward religious 
subjects, he was haunted by a succession of visions and thoughts that seemed 
likely to drive him to suicide or insanity. A few circumstances will illustrate 
his condition. He said, “ If I have not faith, I am lost; if I have faith, I 
can work miracles.” Then to test his faith, he was tempted to cry to the 
mud-puddles near his house, “Be ye dry,” and to stake his hopes of eternity 
on the result. Again he was possessed with the notion that the day of grace 
for his time was passed, and he was a few months too late in his efforts to 
become a Christian. At times he doubted whether the Turks were not right 
and the Christians wrong. While doubts and uncertainties and fantasies 
were flitting through his mind, “ he was troubled by a maniacal impulse 
which prompted him to pray to trees, to a broomstick and to the parish bull. 
Next the deepest clouds surrounded him. Hideous forms floated before him, 
and sounds of cursing were in his ears. He had a curiosity to commit the 
unpardonable sin, to utter blasphemy, and to renounce his share of the bene¬ 
fits of the redemption. In this mental condition, he envied the beasts and 
trees, and the stones of the streets. Bunyan feared that he had committed 
the sin against the Holy Ghost.” His body, though cast in a sturdy mould, 
and though still in the highest vigor of youth, trembled, whole days together, 
with fear of death and judgment. Finally the clouds broke, and Bunyan 
enjoyed peace, but it was several years before his overstrained nervous sys¬ 
tem was fully restored. He joined the Baptist society at Bedford, and after 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


55 


some time passed as a member of the congregation, he began to preach. 
Bitter persecutions soon overtook him. After he had preached about five 
years, the Kestoration occurred, and the dissenters were greatly oppressed. 
Bunyan was flung into Bedford jail in 1660, where he remained almost con¬ 
tinuously for twelve years. On several occasions he could have purchased 
his liberty by promising to leave England, or quit preaching. “If you let 
me out to-day, I will preach again to-morrow,” was his reply. His only 
books while in prison were the Bible and “Fox’s Book of Martyrs.” Bunyan 
spent much time in controversy, but gradually he came to understand in 
what direction lay his strength, and “Pilgrim’s Progress” stole silently into 
the world. Probably this book has had a greater sale than any other book 
published excepting only the Bible. The second part of the book appeared 
in 1684, but the exact date of the first part we do not know. The “Holy 
War” soon followed. These two works are the best allegories ever placed in 
print. So popular did the author become with the lower and middle classes, 
that he was commonly called “Bishop Bunyan,” and many Puritans are 
said to have begged with their dying breath that their coffins might be placed 
as near as possible to the coffin of the author of “Pilgrim’s Progress.” 


ROBERT BURNS. 


Eobert Burns was born in a cottage near Ayr, January 25, 1759, and 
on the 21st of July, 1796, he passed away. 

His father, William Burns, was a small farmer, who had to work hard, 
but who used every means in his power to train up his children properly. 
Carlyle thus refers to the poet’s father : “He was a man of thoughtful, in¬ 
tense character, as the best of our peasants are, valuing knowledge, possess¬ 
ing some, and open-minded for more, of keen insight and devout heart, 






56 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


friendly and fearless; a fully unfolded man seldom found in any rank of 
society, and worth descending far in society to seek. .... 
Had he been ever so little richer, the whole might have issued otherwise. 
But poverty sunk the whole family even below the reach of our cheap school 
system, and Burns remained a hard worked plow boy.” Robert was taught 
English well, which formed a foundation “on which to erect the miracles of 
genius.” His books were few, including the “Spectator,” Pope’s works, 
Allen Ramsey, and a collection of “English Songs.” Later, of course, his 
library grew so as*to include numerous standard works. What books he had 
were thoroughly studied, and “his mind grew up with original and robust 
vigor.” 

In their extreme poverty, Burns was obliged to work early and late, to 
assist in the support of his father’s family. At the same time, he was so 
passionately fond of books, that he would eat his meals with one hand while 
holding his book in the other. He would carry volumes to the field to read 
in spare moments. “I pored over the collection of songs,” he tells us 
“driving my cart or walking to labor, song, by song, verse by verse, carefully 
noting the true, tender, sublime or fustian.” While yet following the plow, 
he gathered “round him the memories and the traditions of his country till 
they became a mantle and a crown,” and he was inspired to wish— 

“That I for poor auld Scotland's sake 
Some useful plan or book could make. 

Or sing a sang at least.” 

Oh, Burns, auroral visions are gilding your horizon as you walk in glory, 
if not in joy, “behind your plough upon the mountain side.” Soon will the 
country murmur of you from sea to sea, and “poor auld Scotland” shall live 
in perennial glory in the songs which you have sung. 

In Robert’s twenty-fifth year his father died. The poet and his brother 
Gilbert continued to run the farm, but they were scarcely able to make a living. 
“Meanwhile he became intimate with his future wife, Jean Armour, but her 
father discountenanced the match,” and Burns decided to seek refuge in 
exile. He engaged as a book-keeper to a slave estate in Jamaica, and had 
taken passage for the West Indies, when he wrote his lines ending— 

“Adieu, my native banks of Ayr.” 




ROBERT BURNS 

































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


59 


Before the ship started, however, the wonderful success of his first volume, 
which was published at Kilmarnock, in June, 1786, withheld him from his 
project, and changed the current of his life. This volume contained “ The 
Twa Dogs,” “The Author’s Prayer,” “Address to the Deil,” “The Vision,” 
and “The Dream,” “Halloween,” “The Cotter’s Saturday Night,” lines “To 
a Mouse,” “To a Daisy,” “Man was made to Mourn,” “Epistle to Davie,” 
and some of his most popular songs. “ This epitome of a genius so marvel¬ 
ous and so varied, took his audience by storm. ” Kobert Heron tells us that 
old and young, grave and gay, learned and ignorant, were alike transported. 

While this edition brought the author only £20, yet it “introduced 
him to the literati of Edinburgh, whither he was invited, and where he was wel¬ 
comed, feasted, and admired and patronized.” In 1787 the second edition 
of the “Poems” brought Burns £400. This sum enabled him to travel 
through England and the East Highlands. In 1788 “he took a new farm 
at Ellisland on the Ninth, settled there, married, lost his little money, and 
wrote, among other pieces, “Auld Lang Syne,” and “Tam O’Shanter.” He 
was appointed excise officer of the district, in 1789, at a salary of £50; but 
in 1791 he removed to a similar position at Dumfries worth £70. In 1792 
the poet wrote about one hundred songs to supply the “Melodies of Scotland” 
with accompaniments. The best of these songs will continue to ring in the 
ear of every Scotchman as long as time lasts. 

For his contributions to this work, Burns’ wife received a shawl, and 
he received £5 and David Allan’s picture representing “The Cotter’s Satur¬ 
day Night.” He wrote an indignant letter, and never afterward composed 
for money. 

But he was growing prematurely old, and his nights of festivity has¬ 
tened the closing hour. His hands commenced to shake, his appetite failed, 
and his spirits sank into a deep gloom. He wrote in April, 1796, “I fear it 
will be some time before I tune my lyre again. By Babel’s stream I have 
Sat and wept. I have only known existence by the pressure of sickness and 
counted time by the repercussion of pain.” On the fourth of July his con¬ 
dition was pronounced critical. A tremor pervaded his frame, his tongue 
was parched, and his mind delirious; but soon the golden cord was loosed, 




60 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and his spirit took its flight. He was buried July 26, with military honors., 
as belonging to the Dumfries Volunteers. The sun shone brightly on that day, 
and while the earth “was heaped up, and the green sod was laid over him, 
the immense crowd stood gazing for some minutes’ space, then melted silently 
away.” 

Burns had faults. Like Byron and Poe, he was given to feasts and 
festivities. But with all his faults he had fine poetic sensibilities. He fre¬ 
quently regretted his weaknesses, by wishing that he could “lie down in his 
mother’s lap and be at peace.” In early youth his constitution was broken 
and his nerves over-strained by hard work. For three weeks at a time he 
groaned under the miseries of a diseased nervous system, and of headaches. 
The following circumstance will illustrate his excellent parts : Burns’ brothers 
and sister were living on the farm and supporting their aged mother. They 
had become involved, and upon his return from Edinburgh the poet gave the 
children £180 to save the family from ruin. “I give myself no airs on this,” 
said he, “for it was mere selfishness on my part. I was conscious that the 
wrong scale of the balance was pretty heavily charged, and I thought that 
throwing a little filial and fraternal affection into the scale in my favor, 
might help to smooth matters at the grand reckoning.” 

Sir Walter Scott tells us of having seen Burns shed tears over a print 
representing a soldier lying dead in the snow, his dog sitting in misery on 
one side, on the other his widow with a child in her arms. 

Burns compares himself to an iEolian harp, strung to every wind of 
heaven. His genius flows over all living and lifeless things with a sympathy 
that finds nothing mean or insignificant. An uprooted daisy becomes in his 
page an enduring emblem of the fate of artless maid and simple bard. He 
disturbs a mouse’s nest and finds in the “ tim’rous beastie ” a fellow mortal 
doomed, like himself, to “ thole the winter’s sleety dribble, ” and draws his 
oft repeated moral. He walks abroad and, in a verse that glints with the 
light of its own rising sun before the fierce sarcasm of the “Holy Fair,” 
describes the melodies of a “simmer Sunday morn.” He loiters by Afton 
Water and “ murmurs by the running brook a music sweeter than its own. ” 
He stands by a roofless tower, where “the howlet mourns in her dewy 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


61 


bower, ” and “ sets the wild echoes flying, ” and adds to a perfect picture of 
the scene, his famous vision of “Libertie.” In a single stanza he concen¬ 
trates the sentiments of many “ Night Thoughts.” 

“ The pale moon is setting beyond the white wave, 

And time is setting wi’ me, O.” 

Burns is Scotland condensed in a personality. “ Let who will make 
her laws, Burns has made her songs, which her emigrants recall by the long 
wash of Australasian seas, in which maidens are wooed, by which mothers lull 
their infants, which return through open casements unto dying ears,—-they 
are the links, the watchwords, the masonic symbols of our race.” 


LORD BYRON. 


George Noel Gordon Byron was born at Holies Street, London, Jam 
22, 1788, and he died while in the service of the Greeks, at Missolonghi, 
April 19, 1824. 

It may not be uninteresting to note the ancestry of-Byron. His father 
was Captain John Byron of the Guards, a profligate officer, who eloped to 
France with a divorced lady, and then married again in order to gain money 
to pay his debts. His grand-uncle, whom our author succeeded in the title, 
killed a neighbor in a drunken brawl, was tried before the House of Lords, 
and acquitted; and he then conducted himself so badly as to gain the appella¬ 
tion of “wicked Lord Byron.” The poet’s grandfather was Admiral Byron, 
known as “Foul-weather Jack,” who had as little rest on sea as the poet on 
land, and who had the virtues without the vices of the race. The family of 
Byrons distinguished themselves in the field; seven brothers fought in the 
battle of Edgehill. No literary branches of any note grew from the family 




62 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


tree of the Byrons till the birth of our author, excepting that in the reign of 
Charles II there was a Lord Byron who wrote some good verses. One 
writer has tried to find a poetic ancestry for our author by connecting the 
Byrons of the 17th century with the family of Sidney. Byron’s mother was 
Catherine Gordon, heiress of Gight in Aberdeenshire. “The lady’s fortune 
was soon squandered by her profligate husband, and she retired to the city 
of Aberdeen, to bring up her son on a reduced income of about £130 per 
annum. The little lame boy, endeared to all in spite of his mischief, suc¬ 
ceeded his grand-uncle, William, and became Lord Byron, in his eleventh 
year.” The happy mother sold off her effects and went with her son to New- 
stead Abbey. This estate had been conferred on Sir John Byron by Henry 
VIII, and Charles I had ennobled the family as a reward for high and hon¬ 
orable service in the royal cause during the Civil War. 

While Byron came from an honored and noble ancestry, yet he was 
unfortunate in his parentage. Deserted by his father, he was left to the 
uncertain training of a mother who was moved by the extremes of indulgent 
fondness and vindictive disfavor. In her fits of anger, he was her “ lame 
brat, ” and her discipline consisted in throwing things at him; while in her 
pleasant moods he was her “darling boy,” and the recipient of her kisses. 
Between these extremes she lost all control over him. He became self- 
willed and resisted all efforts to control him by sullen resistance or defiant 
mockery. This characteristic followed him through life, and, without doubt, 
may be traced to his parental training. 

Upon succeeding to the title of Lord Byron, the youth was sent to the 
school at Dulwich, and from thence to Harrow. In 1805 he was removed to 
Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied for about two years. His 
school life was not particularly brilliant. He gained large stores of general 
information, but made little progress in his classical studies. The head 
master of the school at Harrow received him as a “wild northern colt,” very 
much behind his age in Greek and Latin. According to his own account, he 
was always rebelling and getting into mischief; yet he managed to keep up 
his reputation for general information by reading every history he could get 
hold of, and by studying the English classics. Perhaps the most profitable 












IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


65 


time of his life was the year’s vacation spent at Southwell with the Pigotts. 
The genial encouragement which they gave him expanded his poetic impulses 
and marked the dawn of his genius. While at Harrow he had been busy 
scribbling verses, and the admiration expressed by the Pigotts led him to 
publish a collection entitled “Hours of Idleness.” Upon his return to Cam¬ 
bridge, he found his volume well received. The applause which it gained 
encouraged him to make literature a profession. He accordingly made a 
careful examination of himself, including his acquirements. The rest of his 
college life was spent in collecting his powers to make a grand struggle for 
fame. 

In 1808 a savage attack was made upon him through the Edinburgh 
Review. It is said that Byron never acted except under the influence of love 
or defiance. The attack in the Review stirred our poet to action, and “En¬ 
glish Bards and Scotch Reviewers,” a scorching satire, was the result. It is 
understood that Lord Brougham wrote the criticism, but Byron’s reply was a 
complete punishment of the objects of his wrath. This was Byron’s first 
literary battle, and he could have said, as did the hero of Lake Erie, “We 
have met the enemy, and they are ours.” With the wreath of triumph still 
fresh on his brow, the young lord started, in 1809, for a tour of the conti¬ 
nent. For two years he wandered over Spain, Albania, Greece, Turkey and 
Asia Minor. 

For some time after his return, he lived at Newstead very unhappily, 
but he busied himself correcting the proof sheets of “ Childe Harold. ” Fi¬ 
nally he went to London to enter politics. He took his seat in the House of 
Lords, and spoke two or three times on important measures. In the spring 
of 1812 the first two cantos of “ Childe Harold ” appeared in print. It 
gained an instantaneous and wide-spread popularity. “ I awoke one morn¬ 
ing,” he said, “ and found myself famous.” “ The effect was not confined to 
England; Byron at once had all Europe as his audience, because he spoke 
to them on a theme in which they were all deeply concerned. He spoke to 
them, too, in language which was not merely a naked expression of their 
most intense feeling; the spell by which he held them was all the stronger that 
he lifted them with the irresistible power of song above the passing anxieties 



66 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


of the moment.” A moment’s call upon our historic memories will show 
why “ Childe Harold ” pleased all Europe. It appeared about the time Napo¬ 
leon set out for Moscow. It was with difficulty that an English army could 
defend itself in Portugal, and the English nation was trembling for its safety. 
The movements of the dreaded Bonaparte were being watched by all eyes, 
and every state in Europe was shaking to its foundation. At such a time as 
this, “ Childe Harold ” “ entered the absorbing tumult of a hot and feverish 
struggle, and opened a way in the dark clouds gathering over the contestants 
through which they could see the blue vault and the shining stars.” 

In his second canto, Byron turned from the battlefields of Spain, 

With blood-red tresses deepening in the sun, 

And death-shot glowing in his fiery hands— 

to “august Athena,” “ancient of days,” and the “vanished hero’s lofty 
mound,” thus placing before the world the departed greatness of Greece. 

Young Lord Byron became the lion of the hour, and the center of 
London society. In 1813 he produced “Giaour,” and “The Bride of 
Abydos;” 1814, “Corsair,” and “Lara;” 1816, “Siege of Corinth” and 
“Parisina.” Omitting the rest of his social life till the close of this sketch, 
we will now finish, in brief, the record of his principal literary work. Leav¬ 
ing England, he spent the remainder of his life at Geneva, Venice, Bavenna, 
and in other parts of the continent. 

In 1816 appeared the third canto of “ Childe Harold ” and the “ Pris¬ 
oner of Chillon;” 1817, “Manfred,” the “ Lament of Tasso,” and “Beppo; * 
1818, “ Ode to Venice,” “ Mazeppa,” and completed “ Childe Harold ; ” 1820 
translated the first canto of “ Morgante Maggiore, ” the “ Prophesy of Dante, ’ 
translation of “ Francesca de Rimini,” “ Marino Faliero,” and “ The Blues.” 
From 1821 to 1823 he finished “Don Juan,” and wrote “ Sardanapalus,” 
“ Letters on Bowles,” “ The Two Foscari,” “Cain,” “Heaven and Earth,” 
“Werner,” “Deformed Transformed,” “The Age of Bronze,” and “The 
Island.” 

Having been appointed by the Greeks commander-in-chief of an expe¬ 
dition against Lepanto, he was about to enter upon his duties, when he was 
taken sick. All efforts to save him failed, and he died in 1824. 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


6 1 


Byron’s love disappointments were numerous; but in 1815 he married 
Miss Milbanke, a northern heiress, and daughter of Sir Ralph Milbanke. Ida, 
an only daughter, was born in the following December. Lady Byron left 
him in about one year, and refused to return. Their union seems to have 
been unfortunate, as they were not adapted to each other. His “ Farewell 
to Lady Byron ” was written in sincerity and bitterness of heart, and it is a 
poem of much tenderness. The thick gloom and the numerous misfortunes 
that settled upon Lord Byron, caused him to leave his native land forever, 
and quiet trouble in the pleasures and stirring scenes of the continent. 

In many respects Byron’s life is but a repetition of the life of Burns,— 
the one a lord, the other a peasant, but both singularly brilliant and yet 
unfortunate; loved and yet despised, and both dying from excesses in the 
very prime of life. It is difficult to write of such men ; for their biographers 
usually paint their portraits by putting in all the shadows and leaving out 
most of the lights. This principle of biography we cannot adopt. We must 
consider Byron as one of the remarkable literary men of his day. His 
genius will be a source of wonder and delight to all who love to contemplate 
the workings of human passion in solitude and society, and the rich effects 
of taste and imagination. 

When we see his uncontrolled passions lifted into great surging billows, 
like the wild unrest of the ocean, and then see him penning his farewell to 
his wife and child, while the tears are falling like rain upon the paper as he 
writes, we cannot find it in our heart to write unkindly of him. We simply 
repeat what Joaquin Miller said of 

BURNS AND BYRON. 

In men whom men condemn as ill 
I find so much of goodness still, 

In men whom men pronounce divine 
I find so much of sin and blot, 

I hesitate to draw a line 
Between the two, where God has not. 




68 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


THOMAS CARLYLE. 


Carlyle was born December 4, 1795, in the village of Ecclefechan, in 
Annandale, Scotland. His birthplace is a fine pastoral district, famous in 
Border stories, and rich in ancient castles and Koman remains. 

Carlyle’s father was a farmer. He refers to his mother as being affec¬ 
tionate, pious, and more than ordinarily intelligent. 

He commenced his studies in the grammar schools of Annan, and after¬ 
wards went to Edinburgh University. At the latter place he began to study 
for the church, but changed his mind before completing the academical 
course. 

Having excelled in mathematics, he became a teacher of that branch 
successfully at Annan, Kirkcaldy, and Fifeshire. In 1818 Carlyle went to 
Edinburg, where he had the range of the University Library, and where he 
wrote a number of short biographies and other articles for the Edinburgh 
Encyclopaedia. 

In 1823 he published the “Life of Schiller” in the “London Maga¬ 
zine,” and afterwards, in 1825, in book form. In 1824 he translated 
Legendre’s “Geometry,” prefixing an essay on Proportion, and translated 
Goethe’s “Wilhelm Meister.” In 1825 Carlyle married Jane Welsh, a lineal 
descendant of John Knox. The lady possessed a small property in Dumfries¬ 
shire, and after about three years’ residence in Edinburg she and Mr. Car¬ 
lyle retired to her estate. Before leaving Edinburgh, however, he had pub¬ 
lished four volumes of “Specimens of German Romance,” and written essays 
on “Jean Paul” and “German Literature.” 

While in his country residence, Carlyle wrote papers for the “Foreign 
Review.” He also wrote his “Sartor Resartus,” which after being rejected 





THOMAS CART.VI E 

























































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


by several publishers, appeared in “Fraser’s Magazine” in 1833-’34. In 1834 
he quit his quiet retreat for a house in a suburb of London. His reputation 
as a critical and popular writer being fully established, he entered the lect¬ 
ure field. In 1837 he delivered a series of lectures on “Herman Literature,” 
and on the “History of Literature, or the Successive Periods of European 
Culture.” In 1839 his subject was “Revolutions of Modern Europe,” and 
in 1840, “Heroes and Hero Worship.” These lectures added greatly to 
Carlyle’s popularity. The author’s next book appeared in 1837, being “The 
French Revolution,” a history. This is the ablest of all the author’s works, 
and is indeed one of the most remarkable books of the age. The first perusal 
of it forms a sort of era in a man’s life, and fixes forever in his memory the 
ghastly panorama of the Revolution, its scenes and actors. His next two 
works were political. The first, “Chartism,” appeared in 1839, and the sec¬ 
ond, “Past and Present,” 1843. In 1845 he published “Oliver Cromwell’s 
Letters and Speeches, with Elucidations,” in two volumes. The work was 
admirably done, and was of special service to history. His next work was a 
series of political tracts, entitled “Latter-day Pamphlets,” which appeared in 
1850; and in 1851 he published the “Life of John Sterling,” an affectionate 
tribute to the memory of a friend. 

The first portion of Carlyle’s great work, “Life of Frederick the Great,” 
appeared in 1858, and the laborious history was completed in six volumes in 
1865. In 1866 he was elected Lord Rector of Edinburgh University; and 
in the same year, he met with a severe loss in the death of his wife. She 
had been his loving companion for forty years, and had been a valuable aid 
in his literary work. His publications after the death of his wife, were only 
short articles upon the topics of the day. In addition to what we have 
already described, Carlyle collected, in 1838, his contributions to the “Reviews,” 
and published them in five volumes, entitled “Miscellanies.” The volumes 
included his masterly essays on great literary characters, as Voltaire, Mira- 
beau, Johnson and Boswell, Burns, Sir Walter Scott, etc. Carlyle’s fame is 
continually extending, and editions of his works have reached a sale of 30,000 
copies. “His greatest and most splendid successes have been won in the 
departments of biography and history. The chief interest and charm of his 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


7 0 


works consist in the individual portraits they contain, and the strong personal 
sympathies or antipathies they describe. He has a clear and penetrating 
insight into human nature; he notes every fact and circumstance that can 
elucidate character, and having selected his subject, he works with passion¬ 
ate earnestness till he produces the individual or scene before the reader, exact 
in outline according to his preconceived notion, and with marvellous force 
and vividness of coloring.” He is justly placed among the greatest literary 
characters. The hand of time shall never erase the writing whieh Thomas 
Carlyle has written upon the wall of the nineteenth century. 

He died in London, England, February 5, 1881, at the advanced age 
of eighty-five years. 


WILL CARLETOIL 


What Bobert Burns did for the Scottish cotter and the Eeverend 
William Barnes has done for the English farmer, Will Carleton has done for 
the American—touched with the glamour of poetry the simple and monot¬ 
onous events of daily life, and shown that all circumstances of life, however 
trivial they may appear, possess those alternations of the comic and pathetic, 
the good and bad, the joyful and sorrowful, which go to make up the days 
and nights, the summers and winters, of this perplexing world. Like his 
prototypes, he infuses into his work the most eloquent and touching pathos, 
constantly relieved by irresistible touches of jocularity, and twines the 
mingled thread of mirth and sorrow with a dexterity that enthralls the reader. 
Poetry, publishers tell us, is little read nowadays. Fashion ordains the 
purchase of Edwin Arnold’s or Browning’s latest productions, but there are 
few modern poetical productions that show by their well-thumbed pages and 
shabby covers that they have moved the hearts by their pathos, or stirred 
them as the trumpet-like lines of Macaulay and Aytoun did a generation 





' 



WILL CARLETON 
















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


73 


since. One of these few is Carleton—who sprung suddenly into popularity 
and took his place at a bound in the front rank of those writers who have 
achieved success by their sympathetic treatment of the homeliest subjects. 

In 1871 the poet’s corner of the “Toledo Blade” contained a poem on 
which the diffident author had not ventured to set a price, modestly supply¬ 
ing it as a gratuitous contribution. Its success was phenomenal. The 
vigilant eye of George William Curtis saw at once the merit of the poem, 
and “Harper’s Weekly” promptly republished “Betsey and I Are Out,” with 
numerous characteristic illustrations. The authorship, which had been 
claimed by scores of pretenders, was by this definitely attributed to Will 
Carleton, then only about twenty-five, and employed as editor of the “ Detroit 
Weekly Tribune.” 

He was born in 1845, near Hudson, Michigan, where his father,—one 
of the pioneers of Lenawee County,—had cleared a farm, on which five chil¬ 
dren were born to him and reared in the usual pursuits of farm life. Under 
the wise guidance of his parents Will developed an amazing appetite for 
learning and plodded daily five miles to obtain tuition at the nearest high 
school. At the age of sixteen he utilized his attainments in teaching others, 
and thus secured the means of defraying his expenses at Hillsdale College, 
whence he graduated -Tune 17, 1869, delivering on that occasion his exquisite 
poem “ Bifts in the Cloud,” republished in “ Farm Legends,” which is well 
worthy committal to memory by aspiring students. He had previously 
acquired considerable popularity by the production of a political poem 
entitled “Fax,” and some other stirring poems, notably one, “Forward,” in 
which occurs the line 

“A million men have lived good corses all their lives,” 
published under the nom de plume of “Paul Pillow”; he added to his repu- 
tation by the production of the beautiful lines, “Cover them Over,” which 
ha,s ever since been a favorite recital on Decoration days. “How Betsey 
and I Made Up” confirmed the popularity obtained by “Betsey and I Are 
Out, ” since which time Mr. Carleton’s pen has been industriously engaged 
in the production of “Farm Ballads” (1873), “Farm Legends” (1875), 
“Farm Festivals” (1881), “Young Folks’ Centennial Rhymes” (1876), his 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


n 


last production (1885) being “City Ballads,” most probably the result of 
his residence in Chicago and Brooklyn. This book is dedicated “to Adora, 
friend, comrade, lover, wife.” 

Mr. Carleton’s writings are more varied than many would anticipate 
from the homely tone of the verses which have made him famous. The 
poem, “Three Links of a Life,” is full of dramatic power and abounds in 
rare and felicitous descriptive word-painting. For example: 


“When the rough-clad room was still as sleek, 
Save the deaf old nurse’s needle-click, 

The beat of the grave clock in its place, 

With its ball-tipped tail and owl-like face, 
And the iron tea-kettle’s droning song 
Through its Roman nose so black and long, 
The mother lifted her baby’s head, 

And gave it a clinging kiss and said: 

. . . . • . 

“ ‘Although thou be not Riches’ flower, 

Thou neat one, 

Yet thou hast come from Beauty’s bower 
Thou sweet one! 

Thy every smile’s as warm and bright 
As if a diamond mocked its light; 

Thy every tear’s as pure a pearl 
As if thy father was an earl, 


Thou neat one, thou sweet one!" 

V • • • • • 

“The midnight rested its heavy arm 
Upon the grief-encumbered farm; 

And hoarse-voiced Sorrow wandered at will. 
Like a moan when the summer's night is still; 
And the spotted cows, with bellies of white, 
And well-filled teats all crowded awry. 

Stood in the black stalls of the night, 

Nor herded nor milked, and wondered why. 

And the house was gloomy, still, and cold; 

And the hard-palmed farmer, newly old, 

Sat in an unfrequented place, 

Hiding e'en from the dark his face; 

And a solemn silence rested long 
On all, save the cricket's dismal song.” 


A good example of his pathetic power is afforded by his poems, “The 
Good of the Future” and “The Joys that Are Left.” They possess the 
merit of being free from vagueness and obscurity affected by most meta¬ 
physical verse-makers. The springs of human interest are played upon 
naturally, yet with the quaintness and geniality characteristic of the writer, 


whose future work will no doubt maintain him in the rank of the lead¬ 


ing writers of the century. 









GEO. W. GABLE. 














IN THE LiTERARY WORLD. 


75 


GEORGE W. CABLE. 


George W. Cable was bom in New Orleans, in 1844. His business 
career began in 1859, but was interrupted by his enlistment, as a private, in 
the Confederate army in 1863. He returned to New Orleans at the close of 
the war, and again engaged in mercantile business. He began his literary 
career about 1869, in connection with the New Orleans Picayune. He 
contributed his first stories to Scribner’s Magazine and Appleton’s Journal, 
and these were later published in book form under the titie of “Old Creole 
Days.” “ The Grandissimes ” soon followed, and later appeared “Madame 
Delphine” and “History of New Orleans.” 

Mr. Cable withdrew from commercial life in 1879, and has since 
devoted his time to literature. 

His novels have the merit of breaking new ground, and his description 
of life among the Creole population of Louisiana especially mark him as a 
writer of ability. As a writer of fiction he is awarded high recognition, and 
his productions are enthusiastically received. 

Among his other works of mention, are: Bonadventure,.a prose 
pastoral of Acadian Louisiana; Dr. Sevier; Strange True Stories of 
Louisiana; The Silent South; The Negro Question; John March, Southerner. 




76 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


MBS. CHANLER (AMELIE RIVES.) 


Mrs. Chanler (Amalie Rives) a young Virginia lady of distinguished 
lineage, burst into prominence through the publication of a single short 
story, “A Brother to Dragons,” written at the age of twenty. This produc¬ 
tion showed imaginative power almost unequaled in contemporary fiction, 
and a delicate quaintness that arrested the attention of the critics, among 
whom a decided stir was produced by the publication of “The Quick and 
the Dead,” a novel afterward dramatized in New York. She was accused 
of various crimes against language and literature by some, and was even 
called bizarre, coarse, frivolous. One of the most fair-minded of critics, 
however (Mr. Edgar Fawcett), pronounced Miss Rives an artist of much 
promise and of great vigor and power; “a word-painter who uses a full 
brush with a free hand, and with much courage and originality.” Her 
“Virginia of Virginia” was conceded to be a most delightful story, less ex- 
huberant and more refined. Miss Rives is most successful in her delinea¬ 
tion of female character—draws women from her heart; men from imagina¬ 
tion. With a more extended knowledge of the world, and a fuller experience 
of human nature, the world may expect much from Mrs. Chanler’s riper 


genius. 

















j 


PHCEBE CARY. 





























































' I 







</ 




























































































































' *■ 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


77 


ALICE AND PHOEBE CART. 


Alice was born in the Miami Valley, eight miles north of Cincinnati, 
Ohio, April 26, 1820, and she died in New York, February 12, 1871. 

Phcebe was born near Cincinnati, September 4, 1824, and her life work 
closed by her death at Newport, Rl I., July 31. 1871. 

Their parents were people of considerable culture. The education of 
Alice and Phoebe was limited to the meager opportunities of a newly settled 
country. Alice commenced writing verses at the age of eighteen years. Foi 
ten years she contributed prose and verse to newspapers. Her sketches of 
rural life, first published in the “National Era,” under the signature of 
“Patty Lee,” attracted considerable attention. In 1849 the “Poems of Alice 
and Phoebe Cary” appeared in book form in Philadelphia. 

In 1850 the sisters removed to New York and devoted themselves 
entirely and successfully to literary work. Alice became a constant contrib¬ 
utor to leading literary periodicals. She also continued to write poems and 
novels, which appeared in book form. Her published volumes, besides the 
one mentioned above, are “Clovernook Papers, in two series, published in 
1851 and 1853; “Clovernook Children,” 1854; “Hagar, a Story of To-Day, 
1852; “Lyra and other Poems,” 1853; enlarged editions, including “The 
Maiden Flascala,” 1855; “Married, not Mated,” 1856; “Pictures of Coun¬ 
try,” 1859; “Lyrics and Hymns,” 1866; “The Bishop’s Sons,” 1867; “The 
Lover’s Diary,” 1867; and “Snow Berries, a Book for Young Folks,” 1869. 

Phcebe’s poems were more independent in style and more buoyant in 
tone than those of her sister. One of her first poems, printed in 1842, 
attracted much attention. Her works, besides her contributions to her sis¬ 
ter’s volumes, are “Poems and Parodies,” 1854; “Poems of Hope, Faith 






78 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and Love,” 1868; and most of the “Hymns for all Christians,” compiled m 
1869, by Rev. Dr. Deems. 

The writings of Alice and Phoebe are “marked with great sweetness 
and pathos,” and their home became a noted resort for their literary friends. 


CAMPBELL. 


Thomas Campbell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, July 27, 1777, and 
be died at Bologne, July 15, 1844, at the age of sixty-seven. He was buried 
in Westminster Abbey. 

He came from the respectable family of Kirnan, in Argyllshire. His 
father had settled in Glasgow, but having failed in business, was unable to 
support his son in college. Thomas, was, therefore, obliged to resort to 
private teaching in order to continue in school. Notwithstanding the amount 
of additional labor thus entailed, he made rapid progress in his studies, and 
attained considerable distinction at the university over which it was his 
fortune, in after years, to preside. He very early gave proofs of his aptitude 
for literary composition, especially in the department of poetry; and so 
strong was his addiction to these pursuits, that he could not bring himself 
seriously to adopt the choice of a profession. We are told by his biographer, 
Dr. Beattie, that “the imaginative faculty had been so unremittingly culti¬ 
vated that circumstances, trifling in themselves, had acquired undue influence 
over his mind, and been rendered formidable by an exaggeration of which he 
was at the moment unconscious. Hence, various difficulties, which industry 
might have overcome, assumed to his eye the appearance of insurmountable 
obstacles. Without resolution to persevere, or philosophy to submit to the 
force of necessity, he drew from everything around him, with morbid inge¬ 
nuity, some melancholy presage of the future.” 










t 



ALICE CARY* 



























1 ■» 






































































































• 

V . 





































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


81 


We find him at the age of twenty in Edinburgh, attending lectures at 
the university, soliciting employment from the book-sellers, and not unknown 
to a circle of young men then resident in the Scottish metropolis, whose 
names have become historic. Among these were Walter Scott, Henry 
Brougham, James Jeffrey, Dr. Thomas Brown, John Leyden and James 
Graliame, the author of the “Sabbath.” He also became acquainted with Dr. 
Robert Anderson, editor of a collection of British poets, a man of extreme 
enthusiasm and kindness of disposition, who early appreciated the remarkable 
powers of Campbell, and encouraged him to proceed in his literary career. 

In 1799, his poem, “The Pleasures of Hope,” was published. For 
more than three-fourths of a century, the poem has maintained, nay, 
increased, its popularity. Within that time, the public has adopted and 
abandoned many favorites—names once famous and in every mouth have 
gradually become forgotten and unregarded—poetical works of greater pre¬ 
tension, which were once considered as master-pieces of genius and inspira¬ 
tion, have fallen into neglect; but this poem by the boy Campbell remains a 
universal favorite. He disposed of the copyright of “ Pleasures of Hope” for 
£60, but the publishers generously gave him £50 extra for each new edition 
of two thousand copies. Also in 1803 they permitted him to publish a quarto 
subscription copy, by which he realized £1,000. 

Campbell went abroad, and passed some time on the continent, with¬ 
out any definite aim. His means were soon exhausted, and he was reduced 
to extreme poverty. Returning to Britain, his reputation soon gained him 
literary employment, but his tardiness in fulfilling engagements soon placed 
him in bad repute among the strong publishers, who hesitated often in offer¬ 
ing him work. But he was constantly popular with the public, and an occa¬ 
sional poem from his pen found its way into print. In 1802 he wrote 
“Lochiel’s Warning,” and “Hohenlinden,” two excellent poems known to 
everybody. A critic declares the latter one of the grandest battle pieces ever 
written. “ In a few verses, flowing like a choral melody, the poet brings 
before us the silent midnight scene of engagement, wrapped in the snows of 
winter, the sudden arming for the battle, the press and shout of charging 
squadrons, the flashing of artillery, and the final scene of death. ‘Lochiel’s 



82 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Warning* being read in manuscript to Sir Walter (then Mr.) Scott, he 
requested a perqsal of it himself, and then repeated the whole from memory 
-a striking instance of the great minstrel’s powers of recollection, which was 
related by Mr. Campbell himself. In 1803 the poet repaired to London, and 
devoted himself to literature as a profession. He resided for some time wi 1 
his friend, Mr. Telford, the celebrated engineer. Telford continued his regar 
for the poet throughout a long life, and remembered him in his will by a eg 
acy of .£500.” In the meantime he married, and in 1805, through the m u- 
ence of Mr. Fox, received a government pension of £200 per annum. Later 
Mr. Southey bequeathed him what amounted to nearly £1,000. The pension 
was given as a tribute to him for the noble national strains, “ Ye Manners of 

England,” and the “Battle of the Baltic. , 

In 1809 he published “ Gertrude of Wyoming, a Pennsylvania Tale. 
This was the second of his great poems, and it was exceedingly admired. 
Campbell was now settled at Sydenham, in England, and his circumstances 
were materially improved. His home was a happy one. The society in 
which he moved was of the most refined and intellectual character, and he 
enjoyed the personal friendship of many of his distinguished contemporaries. 
In 1820 he accepted the editorship of the “New Monthly Magazine, and 
acted in that capacity until he resigned it to take charge of the “Metropoli¬ 
tan.” Many of his minor poems appeared in the “Magazine;” and one of 
these, “The"Last Man,” may be ranked among his greatest conceptions. 

In 1824 he published “Theodric and Other Poems;” and though busy 
in establishing the London University, he was, in 1827, elected lord rector of 
the university of his native city. He afterward made a voyage to Algiers, of 
which he published an account; and in 1842 appeared a slight narrative 
poem, unworthy of his fame, entitled “The Pilgrims of Glencoe.” Among 
the literary engagements of his later years was a “ Life of Mrs. Siddons,” and 
a “Life of Petrarch.” 

In 1831, the year in which the gallant struggle of the Poles for their 
independence was terminated by entire defeat, Campbell, who in his 
earliest poem had referred in such beautiful language to the shameful parti¬ 
tion of Poland, more than revived his youthful enthusiasm for her cause. He 







THOMAS CAMPBELL 








































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85 


had watched with an anxiety almost bordering on fanaticism, the progress of 
the patriotic movement, and the news of the capture of Warsaw by the Rus¬ 
sians, affected him as if it had been the deepest of personal calamities. He 
was the founder of the association in London of the Friends of Poland, which 
not only served to maintain the strong interest felt by the British people for 
the Polish cause, but was the means of providing assistance and giving 
employment to large numbers of the unfortunate exiles who were driven to seek 
refuge in England. Never, till his dying day, did he relax his efforts in their 
behalf; and many an unhappy wanderer, who, but for unexpected aid, might 
have perished in the streets of a foreign city, had reason to bless the name 
of Thomas Campbell. 

Critics may dispute regarding the comparative merits of his longer 
w'orks; and, as they incline toward didactic or narrative poetry, may prefer 
the one composition to the other. Both are entitled to praise and honor, but 
it is on his lyrics that the future reputation of Campbell must principally 
rest. They have taken their place, never to be disturbed, in the popular 
heart; and, until the language in which they are composed perishes, they 
are certain to endure. 


GEOFFREY CHAUCER. 


Chaucer was born about 1340, and he died in 1400. There is some 
controversy about the exact date of his birth. 

Chaucer is known as “The Father of English Poetry.” The annals 
also show that he was more conspicuously connected with public affairs than 
any noted poet since his time. 

In 1357 he was page to Elizabeth. In 1359 he was with the royal 
army in the invasion of France, where he was taken prisoner, but was released 
in 1360, by the king giving £16 towards his ransom. 


5 





8G 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Here a blank occurs till in 1366, when we find liim in diplomatic ser¬ 
vice; in 1366 he married Philippa, one of the ladies of the chamber of the 
queen; 1367, received title of “our yeoman ” from the king, together with an 
annuity of twenty marks; 1369 with second invasion of Prance; 1372 
appointed envoy to Italy, and styled “ esquire;” next appointed comptroller 
of customs and subsidies of wool, skins, etc., in the port of London; 137«, 
joint envoy on a secret mission to Flanders, afterwards sent to France to 
treat of peace with Charles Y. Now passing other important missions and 
appointments filled by him with great ability, we will only note that in 1386 
he sat in parliament as one of the knights of the shire for Kent. 

We have no positive evidence of Chaucer’s training in school, although 
it is claimed that he “ studied both at Oxford and Cambridge.” Successive 
investigators, however, have made quite a complete outline of biography, 
and his works give a knowledge of his ability. “ They show that Chaucer 
was not merely a poet and a scholar, deeply read in what then passed for 
science and philosophy, as well as in the rich literature of his poetical prede¬ 
cessors, but a soldier, a courtier, a man of business, familiar from the cir¬ 
cumstances of his birth and subsequent rise in position, with all sides of the 
life of his time.” 

But his literary life was one of toil. Depending almost entirely upon 
official patronage for support, he was obliged to labor all day, then study 
and write till nearly morning. While writing his “ House of Fame” he refers 
to his work and says that he used to attend to the duties of his office, and 
make all the reckonings with his own hands, then go to his house and sit at 
his books till he seemed dazed or lost in his study. In spite of the want of 
literary patronage in his time, in spite of poverty and humble birth, Chaucer 
struggled on till he placed himself on record as “The Father of English 
Poetry.” Upon the close of his busy life, “ he was buried in Westminster 
Abbey, the first of the illustrious file of poets whose ashes rest in that great 
national sanctuary.” The critic, Professor Bernard Ten Brink, records 
Chaucer’s poems as follows: Before 1372, the “A, B, C,” the “ Romance of 
the Rose,” and “Book of the Duchess;” before 1384, the “House of Fame,” 
the “ Life of St. Cecil,” the “ Parliament of Birds,” “Troilus ” and “ Cressida,” 






GOEFFREY CHAUCER. 


























































































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IN T THE LITERARY WORLD. 


80 


and the "Knight’s Tale;” after 1384, "The Legend of Good Women,” 
‘ Canterbury Tales,” and other lesser poems. Some of the minor poems 
usually credited to Chaucer, including " The Court of Love,” the " Flower 
and the Leaf,” "Chaucer’s Dream,” and "Romance of the Rose,” are 
rejected by critics as spurious. They are objected to on the ground that 
they do not conform to the laws of rhyme observed by the poet in his works 
known to be genuine. The "Canterbury Tales,” however, form a durable 
monument of Chaucer’s genius. This work consists of twenty-four stories 
supposed to have been told by a company of pilgrims on their way to Canter¬ 
bury, with a “ Prologue” and connecting narratives. 


SAMUEL L. CLEMEUS. 


Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was born 
in Floiida, Monroe County, Missouri, November 30, 1835, and is now living 
in Hartford City, Connecticut. His works have been immensely popular, 
and have brought him an ample fortune, thus enabling him to devote his 
entire time to literature. 

He attended a common school until he was thirteen, when he entered 
the printing office of the "Courier” at Hannibal, Missouri, as an apprentice. 
Subsequently he pursued his trade in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and 
New York. " In 1855 he went to New Orleans intending to take passage for 
Para, to explore the Amazon, and to engage in the cacao trade; but the 
fact that there was no ship from New Orleans to Para prevented the fulfill¬ 
ment of his plans. On his way down the Mississippi, he had made friends 
with the pilots, and for the consideration of $500 they engaged to make 
him a St. Louis and New Orleans pilot. He went up and down the river 
steering and studying the 1,275 miles of the route, and after a time re- 







In the literary world. 


90 


ceived his license, and secured a situation as a pilot at $250 per mon, . 
The incidents of his career as a pilot form some of his happiest sketches. 

In 1861 his brother received the appointment as secretary of the Terri¬ 
tory of Nevada, and Samuel accompanied him as his private secretary. He 
worked in the mines for about a year, and says in his “ Roughing It” that he 
was really worth a million dollars for just ten days, and lost it through his 
own heedlessness. He then shoveled quartz in a silver mill for ten dollars 
a week for one week only. All of these experiences are turned to account 
most admirably in his writings; and they formed an excellent schooling for 

He commenced his literary labor by means of occasional letters to the 
Virginia City “Enterprise.” In 1862 he became editor of “The Enterprise,” a 
position he' held for three years. Part of the time he reported legislative 
proceedings from Carson, summing up results in weekly letters to “The Enter¬ 
prise,” which he signed “Mark Twain.” The name calls to mind his steam¬ 
boat 'days on the Mississippi, where it indicated a depth of two fathoms of 
water. Mark Twain is now a name better known in literature than in 
steamboat vernacular. He next went to San Francisco, and for five months 
reported for the “Morning Call” newspaper. In pursuit of wealth, he next 
went to Calaveras County, where he dug for gold for about three months 
without result. Returning to San Francisco, he followed the newspaper 
business for a short time. In 1866 he spent about six months on the 
Hawaiian Islands. Returning again to California, with considerable reputa¬ 
tion he entered the lecture field, and was more than successful. His peculiar 
vein of humor tickled the public ear, hence he decided to give his thoughts 
to the world in book form. In 1867 he went East and brought out his first 
book in New York. “The Jumping Frog and Other Sketches” was at once 
popular, and was immediately republished in England. 

Finding that his style pleased the public exceedingly, he entered upon 
his career as author with systematic earnestness. In 1867 he crossed the 
Atlantic in the steamer Quaker City, and traveled through Spain, Italy, 
Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land. The account of his travels appeared in 
1869, in that marvel of wit and humor, “The Innocents Abroad.” Within 







SAMUEL Jo CLEMENS 


















































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


9S 


three years, the work reached the enormous sale of 125,000 copies. Mark 
Twain edited a daily paper at Buffalo, for a short time, but soon entered the 
lecture field again and revisited England in 1872. In the same year, he 
published “Boughing It,” which reached a sale of 91,000 in nine months. At 
this time, London publishers gathered all his sketches, many of which were 
never published in America, and many of which were not written by Mark 
Twain, and issued them in four volumes. From the pen of this American 
genius and humorist have proceeded the “New Pilgrim’s Progress,” “Tramp 
Abroad,” “Burlesque Autobiography,” “Eye-openers,” “Good Things,” 
“Screamers,” “A Gathering of Scraps,” “The Gilded Age,” “Tom Sawyer,” 
“Life on the Mississippi,” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” His works 
are published in the Old World at London and Leipsic, and are very popular 
on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Without a doubt, he is the most popular of living humorists. His 
language is pure and elevated, except when it is necessary to use the lan¬ 
guage of classes to represent certain characters. The world is bound to laugh 
as long as Mark Twain lives, or as long as his works are kept in print. 


SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE. 


Coleridge was born at Ottery, St. Mary, Devonshire, England, October 
21, 1772 (given 1773 by some of his biographers), and on July 25, 1834, he 
passed away, and was buried in the vault of Highgate Church on August 2. 

His father was a clergyman, and was known for his scholarship, sim¬ 
plicity of character, and interest in the pupils of the grammar school where 
he taught before devoting his full time to the ministry. The poet’s mother 
was Anne Bowden, a woman noted for the interest which she took in the 
training of her children. 





04 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Upon the death of his father young Coleridge was taken to Christ’s 
Hospital, where he studied for eight years. While here he gave strong evi¬ 
dence of a powerful imagination. He was industrious, and possessing a rare 
memory, he retained everything he read. The youth attracted the special 
attention of one of the teachers, who reported him to the head master as a 
hoy who read Virgil for amusement. Some verses written by him at sixteen 
show strong marks of genius. 

In February, 1791, he was entered at Jesus College, Cambridge. It 
was the custom of the students to lay aside their school books occasionally 
to discuss the pamphlets of the day. Ever and anon a pamphlet came from 
the pen of Burke, and one of Coleridge’s fellow-students declared that there 
was no use of having the book before them, for Mr. C. had read it in the 
morning, and in the evening he could repeat it verbatim. But growing tired 
of university life, and being hard pressed by debts, he enlisted as a soldier. 

His military record was thus described by the Rev. Mr. Bowles, who 
received the facts from Coleridge’s own mouth :* 

“The regiment was the 15th, Elliot’s light dragoons; the officer was 
Nathaniel Ogle, eldest son of Dr. Newton Ogle, and brother of the late Mrs. 
Sheridan; he was a scholar, and leaving Merton College, he entered this 
regiment a cornet. Some years afterward (I believe he was then captain of 
Coleridge’s troop), going into the stable at Reading, he remarked, written on 
the white wall, under one of the saddles, in large pencil characters, the fol¬ 
lowing sentence in Latin: 

“ ‘Eheu? quam infortunii miserrimum est fuisse felicem!' 

“Being struck with the circumstance, and himself a scholar, Captain 
Ogle inquired of a soldier, whether he knew to whom the saddle belonged. 
‘Please your honor, to Comberback,’ answered the dragoon. ‘Comberback!’ 
said the captain, ‘send !iim to me.’ Comberback presented himself, with 
the inside of his hand in front of his cap. His officer mildly said, ‘Comber¬ 
back, did you write that Latin sentence which I have just read under your 
saddle?’ ‘Please, your honor,’ answered the soldier, ‘I wrote it.’ ‘Then, 
my lad, you are not what you appear to be. I shall speak to the command¬ 
ing officer, and you may depend upon my speaking as a friend.’ The com- 




SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE 





















































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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


manding officer was, I think, General Churchill. Comberback (the name 
he gave when he enlisted) was examined, and it was found out, that hav¬ 
ing left Jesus College, Cambridge, and being in London without resources, 
he had enlisted in this regiment. He was soon discharged—not from his 
democratic feelings, for whatever those feelings might be, as a soldier he was 
remarkably orderly and obedient, though he could not rub down his own 
horse. He was discharged from respect to bis friends and his station. His 
friends having been informed of his situation, a chaise was soon at the door 
of the Bear Inn, Reading, and the officers of the 15th cordially shaking his 
hands, particularly the officer who had been the means of his discharge, he 
drove off, not without a tear in his eye, whilst his old companions gave him 
three hearty cheers as the wheels rapidly rolled away along the Bath road 
to London and Cambridge.” 

While in the tap-room at Reading, he wrote one of his finest poems, 
“Religious Musings,” which furnished a fine subject for a painting by 
Wilkie. 

The youth returned to Cambridge for a short time, but left the univer¬ 
sity without a degree in 1794. In the same year he visited Oxford and 
formed the acquaintance of Southey. The two formed a friendship that con¬ 
tinued through life. The two friends commenced to build up a plan for 
founding a brotherly community on the banks of the Susquehanna, where 
selfishness was to be extinguished, and the virtues were to reign supreme. 
Failing to get funds, the scheme was abandoned in 1795, much to Coleridge’s 
chagrin. In the same year he married Sarah Frickes, and settled at Cleve- 
don on the Bristol Channel. Within a few weeks Southey married a sister 
of Mrs. Coleridge and started for Portugal. 

As a means of support the poet began to lecture. He selected politics 
and religion as subjects, but the Bristol public did not support him well, 
hence he published his lectures in book form. In the course of the summer 
excursions of this year Coleridge formed the acquaintance of Wordsworth 
and his gifted sister. As in the case of Southey, a life-long friendship fol¬ 
lowed. Wordsworth’s sister describes Coleridge as “ thin and pale, the lower 
part of his face not good, wide mouth, thick lips, not very good teeth, longish, 




98 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


loose, half-curling, rough, black hair,”—but all was forgotten in the magic 
charm of his utterance. "Wordsworth declared that Coleridge was the only 
wonderful man that he ever knew. Wordsworth soon settled near Coleridge, 
and Southey afterward joined them, thus making the trio known in litera¬ 
ture as the Lake Poets. The Lake Poets was a term first used by critics in 
making light of the writings of the three friends, but it-was soon made famous 
by the masterly spirits it included. Coleridge projected a periodical known 
as “ The Watchman,” but it lived only two months. In 1796 he published a 
volume of “Juvenile Poems,” for which he received thirty guineas. The vol¬ 
ume was successful, and at once made the author famous. In 1798 the 
Wedgwood brothers granted him an annuity, whereupon he, in company with 
Wordsworth and his sister, started for Hamburg with the intention of making 
a tour of the continent. In the same year the two friends published jointly 
the “Lyric Ballads.” 

The annuity granted him opened a new period in his life. Thus pro¬ 
vided with means, he attended lectures at Gottingen, Germany, where he 
mastered the German language. Upon his return home he wrote some of 
the principal papers for the “ Morning Post, ” and also translated some 
dramas of Schiller. Soon after, Coleridge accompanied Sir Alexander Ball 
to Malta, as his secretary. Returning from Malta, he wrote “ Remorse, ” a 
tragedy in blank verse, equal in some respects to the masterly productions of 
Shakespeare. Its forcible thought and excellent expression greatly enhanced 
the author’s reputation. 

In 1801 Coleridge left London for the Lakes, making his home for some 
time with Southey. As a result of what may be called his opium period, the 
next fifteen years of his life were far from pleasant. He accomplished but 
little. Occasionally, however, he appeared in London, and he was then 
always the delight of admiring circles. The “Ode to Dejection” and the 
poem of “Youth and Age,” show the evidences of his sad prostration of 
spirit. In 1809 he published “ The Friend,” andfor about three years lectured 
upon Shakespeare. In 1813 appeared the tragedy of “Remorse,” which was 
very successful. “Three years after this the evil habit against which he had 
struggled bravely but ineffectually, determined him to enter the family of 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


99 


Mr. Gillem, who lived at Highgate. The letter in which he discloses his 
misery to this kind and thoughtful man gives a real insight into his charac¬ 
ter. Under kind and judicious treatment the hour of mastery at last arrived. 
The shore was reached, but the vessel had been miserably shattered in its 
passage through the rocks. He hardly, for the rest of his life, ever left his 
home at Highgate.” It was there that “Christ abel,” written some time 
before, was first published. In 1816 appeared his “ Lay Sermons” and the 
“Biographia Literaria,” and a revised edition of “The Friend” soon fol¬ 
lowed. 

Seven years later, his most mature and his best prose work, entitled 
“Aids to Reflection, ” was given to the world. In 1830 his last effort, being 
a work on “Church and State,” appeared. He died in 1834. Four volumes 
of “ Literary Remains” were published after his death. His prose works are 
the chief source of his fame, although the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” 
and “ Christabel ” are among the best poems in the English language. 

“He lacked continuity of thought,” and that, perhaps, is his principal 
fault. His conversational powers were scarcely less than those of Samuel 
Johnson. So great was his fame that the most remarkable young men of the 
period resorted to Highgate as to the shrine of an oracle. As a poet, Cole¬ 
ridge’s own place is safe. His niche in the great gallery of English poets is 
secure. The exquisite perfection of his metre and the subtle alliance of his 
thought and expression must always secure for him the warmest admiration 
of true lovers of poetic art. 




100 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


WILLIAM WILKIE COLLINS. 


William Wilkie Collins, an English novelist, was born in London, 
January, 1824. His father, William Collins, was an eminent artist, and 
his mother was also talented in art. He was educated in a private school, 
then spent several years in Italy. For four years he was in the employ 
of a mercantile firm, but left this for the study of law. In 1848 he pub¬ 
lished “ Memoirs of the Life of William Collins. ,, In 1850 appeared his 
first novel, “Antonina.” Then followed “Rambles Beyond Railways,” 
“ Basil; ” “ Mr. Ray’s Cash Box; ” “ Hide and Seek; ” “ After Dark; ” “ The 
Dead Secret;” “The Queen of Hearts;” “No Name;” “The Woman in 
White;” “My Miscellanies;” “Armadale; ” “ The Moonstone; ” “Man 
and Wife;” “Poor Miss Finch;” “ New Magdalen; ” “ The Law and the 
Lady; ” “Two Destinies;” “The Haunted Hotel; ” “The Fallen Leaves;” 
“Jezebel’s Daughter,” and “The Black Robe.” 

His novels are most skillfully written, entertaining, and absorbing. 
Many of them are translated into other languages. Always a hard worker, 
he continued his arduous literary labors, in spite of ill health, until within a 
short time previous to his death, which occurred in 18s9. He was a great 
friend of Charles Dickens. His brother married Miss Kate Dickens, 
daughter of the novelist, in I860. 





1 



WILLIAM WILKIE COLLINS 














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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


1(3 


JAMES FEJSTIMORE COOPER 


J. F. Cooper was born at Burlington, New Jersey, September 15, 1789, 
and he died of dropsy, at Cooperstown, New York, in 1851. 

His father was a person of ability, who served the public as judge and 
as member of Congress. The boy was reared on his father’s estate near 
Lake Otsego. In that then wild region Cooper may have received impres¬ 
sions which were valuable in his delineations of border life and character. 

His school life began at Albany and New Haven. At the age of thir¬ 
teen he entered Yale College, where he studied for three years. The youngest 
student on the rolls, he yet sustained himself in his classes and gained a 
good education. In his sixteenth year he entered the United States navy, 
where he served for six years. Cooper made a few voyages to perfect him¬ 
self in seamanship. Having obtained a commission as lieutenant, he 
married, and resigning his commission in 1811, entered upon a life of literary 
labor. He settled at Westchester, where, in 1819, he produced “Precaution,” 
a novel of the fashionable school. The book was published anonymously and 
attracted but little attention. It was taken for granted that a new writer was 
skirmishing under an assumed name to test his ability. The little attention 
given to the first book, encouraged the author to try again, hence, in 1821, 
appeared “The Spy,” a powerful and interesting romance, founded upon 
incidents connected with the American Revolution. The great success of 
“The Spy” at once established the author’s popularity; and, in 1823, his 
fame was still more increased by “The Pioneers,” the first of the Leather¬ 
stocking series, and “The Pilot,” a bold and dashing sea story. The above 
works placed Cooper in a very favorable light before the public. He at once 




104 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


became popular both in the New and Old World. Thus encouiaged he 
entered in earnest upon a very fruitful literary career. 

In 1825 he published “Lionel Lincoln,” a feeble work; 1826, “Last of 
the Mohicans,” a book often quoted as his masterpiece; and in the same 
year he went to France, where he published The Prairie, and in the 
succeeding year, “The Red Rover.” These are among his very best works. 
In nearly all respects “The Prairie” is his best effort. In 1826 Cooper 
seemed to be the most popular living novelist. 

“The Wept of the Wish-ton Wish,” appeared in 1827; “The Notions 
of a Traveling Bachelor,” 1828; “The Water Witch, 1830, the poorest of his 
sea stories; “The Bravo,” 1831; “The Heidenmauer,” 1832; “The Headman 
of Berne,” 1833. These works were all widely read on both sides of the 
Atlantic. The object of most of his writings while abroad was to exalt 
the masses at the expense of the aristocracy. While abroad he also wrote 
a series of letters for the “National,” a journal of Paris, in which he defended 
his country against certain charges that had been made by the “Revue 
Britannique.” 

Upon returning to the United States in 1833,. he published “A Letter 
to my Countrymen, ” explaining the controversy in which he had engaged 
through the Paris papers. For the rest of his life he continued to skirmish 
occasionally upon national topics through the public journals. His publica¬ 
tions continued by the appearance of “Monikins,” and “ The American Dem¬ 
ocrat,” 1835; “Notes” on his travels and experiences in Europe, in three 
volumes, published in 1837. These three volumes are estimated by foreigners 
as “ a burst of vanity and ill-temper.” “Homeward Bound,” and “ Home as 
Found,” were published in 1838. For these several works he was criticised 
most severely by the public press. Cooper retaliated by commencing a series 
of libel suits. In all of these he was successful, after which he returned to 
his book work with unusual vigor. In 1839 he published a “ Naval History 
of the United States;” 1840, “The Pathfinder,” an excellent Leatherstock¬ 
ing novel, and “ Mercedes of Castile;” 1841, “The Deerslayer;” 1842, “ The 
Two Admirals,” and “ Wing and Wing;” 1843, “ Wyandotte,” “ The History 
of a Pocket Handkerchief,” and “Ned Myers;” 1844, “Afloat and Ashore,” 







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"IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


107 


and “Miles Wallingford1845, “The Chainbearer,” and “ Satanstoe;” 1846 
“ The Redskins.” In 1846 he published, also, a set of “ Lives of Distin¬ 
guished American Officers,” being supplemental to “Naval History,” etc. 
Taking up his line of novels again in 1847, he published “ The Crater, or 
Vulcan’s Peak;” 1848, “Oak Openings,” and “Jack Tier;” 1849, “The 
Sea Lions;” 1850, the final work, “ The Ways of the Hour.” It must appear 
from the above that Cooper’s pen was never idle. In his novels he appears 
to be at home, but in his numerous notes on travels, and in his many treatises 
on the institutions of America, he subjected himself to severe censure. 

In the realm of fiction he has but few equals. “ He emphatically 
belongs to the American nation, ” as Washington Irving has said, “ while his 
painting of nature under new and striking aspects, has given him a Euro¬ 
pean fame that can never wholly die. ” The last statement may be strengthened 
by our quoting Cooper’s description of “Lake Otsego,” in its surroundings, 
while the wilderness remained unbroken: 

“On all sides, wherever the eye turned, nothing met it but the mirror¬ 
like surface of the lake, the placid view of heaven, and the demise setting of woods. 
So rich and fleecy were the outlines of the forest, th? c scarce an opening 
could be seen ; the whole visible earth, from the rounded mountain-top to the 
water’s edge, presenting one unvaried line of unbroken verdure. As if vege¬ 
tation were not satisfied with a triumph so complete, the trees overhung the 
lake itself, shooting out toward the light; and there were miles along its 
eastern shore where a boat might have pulled beneath the branches of dark 
Rembrandt-looking hemlocks, quivering aspens, and melancholy pines. In a 
word the hand of man had never yet defaced or deformed any part of this 
native scene, which lay bathed in the sunlight, a glorious picture of the afflu¬ 
ent forest grandeur, softened by the balminess of June, and relieved by the 
beautiful variety afforded by the presence of so broad an expanse of water.” 

His stories have been translated into nearly all the languages of Eu¬ 
rope, and into some of those of Asia, and are even now found worthy of a 
reprint. Balzac admired him greatly; while Victor Hugo pronounced him 
greater than the great master of modern romance, and this verdict was 
echoed by a multitude of readers, who were satisfied with no title for their 
favorite less than that of “ the American Scott.” 




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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


CHARLES EGBERT CRADDOCK. 


Mary Noam.es Murfree (Charles Egbert Craddock) is descended from 
a distinguished family of North Carolina. Her great-grandfather. Major 
Hardy Murfree, of that state, having rendered his country some service dur¬ 
ing the war for independence, was rewarded by a large grant of land in Ten¬ 
nessee, and upon this ancestral estate Miss Murfree was born near Murfrees- 
borough. Probably no feminine writer has equalled her in opulence of gifts 
since George Elliot, Miss Murfree’s genius being, however, of a much more 
cheerful kind than that of the great Englishwoman. Miss Murfree comes 
naturally by her literary endowments, her father and mother both having 
done work for the magazines. Fifteen years of life amid the scenes of the 
mountains of East Tennessee stocked her imagination with materials of ro¬ 
mance, and upon this she drew for her first work. 

Miss Murfree’s father was a wealthy and distinguished lawyer; her 
mother, a Miss Priscilla Dickinson, was a daughter of Col. Dickinson, of Mur- 
freesborough. Her first story was “The Dancin’ Party at Harrison’s Cove,” 
followed by other short stories of rare descriptive power, and a literary style 
at once bold and refined. The publication of her first volume made a decided 
sensation, accentuated by the discovery that behind the nom de plume of 
Charles Egbert Craddock was a woman of society. Because of the strength 
and energy evident in her work, the critics were quite unprepared for this 
disclosure. Her novels, “Where the Battle Was Fought,” “The Prophet of 
the Great Smoky Mountains,” “In the Clouds,” “The Despot of Broom- 
sedge Cove,” etc., are well known to readers of good fiction. 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


100 


WILLIAM COWPER. 


William Cowper was born November 26, 1731, at Great Berkhamstead, 
Hertfordshire, England, and after being reduced to the last stage of feeble¬ 
ness, he died peacefully, April 25, 1800. 

His father, the Bev. Dr. Cowper, belonged to the aristocracy, and his 
mother was allied to some of the noblest families of England. He counted 
among his ancestors kings and earls, and persons who had filled the most 
prominent places in the English government. His mother died when he was 
only in his sixth year. 

Cowper’s health was very delicate, hence his school life was not alto¬ 
gether pleasant. He was sent to Dr. Pitman’s school in Market street, Bed¬ 
fordshire, as soon as he was six years old. There he was subjected to the 
ridicule of his rude companions. Cowper thus wrote of one of his school¬ 
mates—“ His savage treatment of me impressed such a dread of his figure on 
my mind, that I well remember being afraid to lift my eyes upon him higher 
than his knees, and that I knew him better by his shoe-buckle than by any 
other part of his dress.” Without doubt, the mental anguish which he suf¬ 
fered in school had a decided influence upon the rest of his life, which lay 
under the clouds of despondency. At the age of ten he was sent to the 
Westminster school. There Churchill, Lloyd and Warren Hastings were his 
fellow students. There, also, he served a seven years’ apprenticeship to the 
classics. Being surrounded by strangers, and naturally very shy, his fits of 
despondency grew darker, and his mind became greatly depressed. Inflam¬ 
mation of the eyes threatened to make him blind, and he soon showed signs 
of consumptive tendency. In this condition, at the age of thirteen, he had 




110 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


the small-pox, which completely restored his eyesight. Under all of these 
unfavorable circumstances Cowper distinguished himself in his studies. 

At the age of eighteen he was taken from Westminster, and placed 
under the instruction of Mr. Chapman, an attorney in London. The duties 
of this new position were in direct opposition to the literary tendencies of the 
poet’s mind. Thurlow, who afterward became lord- chancellor of England, 
was in the same office, and Cowper bears witness that they spent their leisure 
hours in “ giggling, and making giggle, ” instead of studying law. When his 
three years had expired with Mr. Chapman, he went to the Middle Temple in 
1752. There the solitary hours passed heavily, and his spirits sank into a 
deep gloom. Finally, while sitting with a few friends by the sea, the shad¬ 
ows passed away, and life presented itself in a new light. He returned to 
London and entered the gayest society, and, for a time, gave himself up 
wholly to pleasure. In 1752 ha was admitted to the bar, hut the allurements 
of literature and social life kept him from following his profession. His 
father soon died, leaving but a small fortune. In 1759 Cowper removed to 
the Inner Temple, where, instead of studying law, he continued to give most 
of his time to literary study. He studied Homer, and, with his brother, 
translated part of Henriade. ” There, also, he formed the acquaintance of 
prominent men, and met many of his old school fellows. He joined the 
Nonsense Club, and commenced to write prose and poetry for the press. 

Cowper had become quite fond of dress and of gay society. At the 
same time his little fortune was about exhausted. Circumstances led him to 
seek some suitable employment. His friend and kinsman, Major Cowper, 
gave him the lucrative office of clerk to the committees of the House of Lords. 
In older to test Cowper s fitness for the office an examination was called for 
at the bar of the House. Ee immediately undertook to prepare himself for 
the examination. The result is described by himself as follows—“ The jour¬ 
nal books were thrown open to me—a thing which could not be refused, and 
from which, perhaps, a man in health and with a head turned to business 
might have gained all the information he wanted; but it was not 
so with me; I read without perception, and was so distressed that had every 
clerk in the office been my friend, it could have availed me little, for I was 





























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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


113 


not in condition to receive instruction, much less to elicit it out of manu¬ 
scripts without direction.” The dread of appearing before the House of 
Lords for a public examination so affected his mind that it reappeared to 
him in dreams. In order to escape the ordeal he attempted suicide. The 
effort proved a failure, but Cowper was removed to a private asylum at St. 
Albans. There he remained for two years, when he removed to Huntington, 
to be near his brother. An intimacy grew up between Cowper and the fam¬ 
ily of the Eev. Morley Unwin, a minister living in the place. The poet hav¬ 
ing given up all ambition for public trust and abandoned many of the hopes 
of his youth, wished only to pass into some quiet retreat. The home of the 
Unwins was offered to him, and he soon became as one of the family. In 1767 
Mr. Unwin died, and the family, including the poet, removed to Olney. 

In 1773 his insanity returned. Mrs. Unwin, with all possible care, 
attended him in his long illness. At length his mind commenced to gain 
strength, and he busied himself with gardening and other light work. For 
a time his only serious thoughts were upon religious subjects. Mrs. Newton, 
wife of the local minister, and a lady of excellent qualities, became a con¬ 
stant visitor. Up till about 1775, Cowper had only written a few hymns, but 
by Mrs. Unwin’s suggestion, he commenced a poem on the “Progress of 
Error.” His writing progressed rapidly, and in a few months, he brought 
out a volume including “Progress of Error,” “Table Talk,” “Conversation,” 
“Truth,” “Expostulation,” “Hope,” “Charity,” ‘‘Retirement.” This work 
attracted but little attention. 

The turning point in Cowper’s life occurred in 1781, when he formed 
the acquaintance of Lady Austen. Her sparkling wit, genial nature and 
lively conversation, soon drove away his melancholy. He wrote songs which 
she set to music and sang to the harpsichord. Observing him to be rather 
depressed, Lady Austen related the story of John Gilpin. The poet was so 
delighted with the story, that upon retiring, he turned it into verse, and at 
the breakfast table repeated it to her. 

His new friend next suggested “The Task.” This he commenced in 
1783, and published in 1785. Its succeess was complete, and Cowper’s 
name was rendered immortal, and placed at the head of living English poets. 

6 



114 


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He printed his translation of Homer in 1791, then engaged to edit an edition 
of Milton, but his mental condition prevented him from doing the work. In 
1794 the crown gave him a pension of £300. His last poem was the “Cast¬ 
away. ” 

His friend, Mrs. Unwin, died in 1796, and Cowper sank into a mental 
gloom which continued till his death in 1800. 

Cowper was the most popular poet and letter writer of his age. “His 
muse does not sit apart in sublime seclusion—she comes down into the ways 
of men, mingles in their every day concerns, and is interested in crops and 
rural affairs. * * * He brought back nature to poetry, and 

his influence has been extensive and lasting. Shakespeare, Spenser and 
Milton are spirits of an ethereal kind. Cowper is a steady and valuable 
friend, whose society we may sometimes neglect for that of more splendid 
and attractive associates, but whose unwavering principle and purity of char¬ 
acter, joined to rich intellectual powers, overflow upon us in secret, and bind 
us to him forever.” 


ALIGHIERI DAHTE. 


Dantes was born at Florence, Italy, in May, 1265; and banished from 
the sunny home of his nativity, he died September 14, 1321, in Ravenna,, 
where his remains still repose. 

Dante descended from an ancient and honorable family, though not 
one of the highest rank. Certain of his biographers attempt to prove his 
origin from one of the oldest senatorial families of Rome. It is given as 
authentic, however, that he was connected with the Elisei who took part in 
the building of Florence, under Charles the Great. Dante traces his ances¬ 
try back to the warrior Cacciaguida, but it would not be of special interest 
to trace the descent here, except to note that the poet’s father was a second 







IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


115 


Aldighiero, a lawyer of some reputation. The father was married twice; 
and by his second wife, Donna Bella, whose family name is not known, he 
had Dante and a daughter. Dante was born under the sign of the twins, 
“ the glorious stars pregnant with virtue, to whom he owes his genius, such 
as it is.” Astrologers considered this constellation as favorable to literature 
and science, and Brunetto Latini, his instructor, tells him in the “ Inferno’'' 
that, if he follows its guidance, he cannot fail to reach the harbor of fame. 

But little is known of his boyhood, except that he was a hard student 

and a pupil of Brunetto Latini. Boccaccio tells us that he became very 

familiar with Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Statius, and all other famous poets; and 

that, “ taken by the sweetness of knowing the truth of the things concealed in 

heaven, and finding no other pleasure dearer to him in life, he left all other 

♦ 

worldly care and gave himself to this alone, and, that no part of philosophy 
might remain unseen by him, he plunged with acute intellect into the deep¬ 
est recesses of theology, and so far succeeded in his design that, caring 
nothing for heat or cold, or watchings or fastings, or any other bodily dis¬ 
comforts, by assiduous study he came to know of the divine essence and of 
the other separate intelligences all that the human intellect can compre¬ 
hend.” Leonardo Bruni says that “by study of philosophy, of theology, 
astrology, arithmetic, and geometry, by reading history, by turning over 
many curious books, watching and sweating in his studies, he acquired the 
science which he was to adorn and explain in his verses.” He became 
master of all the sciences of his age at a time when it was not impossible to 
know all that could be known. Like Milton, he was trained in the most 
Btrict academical education which the age afforded. He was also skilled in 
drawing, for he tells us that on the anniversary of the death of Beatrice, he 
drew an angel on a tablet. 

Dante’s misfortunes grew out of his political relations and the unstable 
condition of the government of Florence. In 1215 Florence was enjoying 
peace. A private feud between families of opposing parties introduced into 
the city the horrors of civil war. Out of these feuds grew the parties of 
Guelphs and Ghibellines in Florence. These factions were at constant war 
with each other, each at times victorious, and the victors always banishing 






116 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


the vanquished. The defeated party gaining aid, returned with redoubled 
fury. The historian tells us that Dante fought with distinction at Campal- 
dino and at the battle of Caprona. His party being victorious, he returned 
to his studies in 1289. 

The archives of Florence show that Dante took part in the several 
councils of the city from 1295 to 1301. In 1299 he was engaged in an 
embassy to the town of San Gemignano, and in 1300 he held the office of 
prior. This office was the cause of all his miseries. Factions again arose, 
and it became the duty of the six priors to protect the city. Dante and his 
colleagues banished the heads of the rival parties in different directions to a 
distance from the capital. The banished parties returned in force, and by 
foreign aid conquered the city, destroyed all the effects of their adversaries 
and doomed 600 families to exile. In 1302 Dante with three others was 
condemned to pay a heavy fine, to be exiled from Tuscany for two years, and 
never again to hold office in the republic. In the same year Dante with 
fourteen others, was condemned to be burned alive if they should ever come 
into the hands of the republic. The sentences were repeated in 1311 and 
1315, but were finally reversed in 1494, long years after the poet’s death. 
After his banishment he made one desperate effort to defeat his rivals, but 
failing in the attempt, his wanderings commenced. 

We cannot trace this great man in all his wanderings, but many cities 
claim the honor of giving him shelter, or of being for a time the home of his 
inspired muse. He visited the University of Bologna, and also of Paris. 
Having studied in the Rue Fouarre, it is claimed that he went to Oxford. 
At various times, circumstances and the prospect of returning to his home 
caused him to build up strong hopes, which were in turn destroyed. Finally, 
weary and in great poverty, he retired to Ravenna, where he ended his life, 
and where his bones still repose, while cities are contending for the honor 
of having furnished him a home. In 1316 Dante might have returned to 
Florence by paying a fine and walking in the dress of humiliation to the 
church of St. John to do penance for his offenses, but he refused to tolerate 
the shame. The letter is still extant in which he declines to enter Florence 
except with honor, secure that the means of life will not fail him, and that 













































































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119 


in any corner of the world he will be able to gaze at the sun and stars, and 
meditate on the sweetest truths of philosophy. 

The story of his social life may he stated briefly. At the age of nine 
he met Beatrice Portinariat the house of her father on May-day, 1274. She 
became at once the idol of his affections, although he never declared his love 
to her. He saw her only twice when she married another. The worship of 
her lover, however, was stronger than ever for the remoteness of the object. 
The story of his passion is told in the last chapter of the “ Vita Nuova.” 
She died in 1290, and he wrote most affectionately of her. In 1292 Dante 
married Gemma, daughter of Manetto Donati, a connection of the celebrated 
Corso Donati, afterward his bitter foe. By this lady he had seven children. 
His son Piero, who wrote a commentary on the “ Divina Commedia,” settled 
in Verona. His daughter Beatrice lived a nun in Ravenna. His direct line 
•became extinct in 1509 ; but the blood still runs in the veins of the Marchesi 
Serego Alighieri, a noble family of the city of the Scaligers. 

It now remains to sketch his literary life. In 1307 he completed “Vita 
Nuova,” or “Young Life,” of Dante. This contains the history of his love 
for Beatrice. The “Convito,” or “ Banquet” is the work of his manhood. 
This was probably intended for a handbook of universal knowledge, but the 
date of its completion is unknown. His minor poems were entitled “ Rime 
di Dante.” Such minor poems as are known to be genuine secure Dante a 
place among lyric poets scarcely if at all inferior to that of Petrarch. The 
Latin treatise “ De Monarchia” in three books, was written between 1310 
and 1313; and, as the title indicates, contains his governmental creed. 
“ De Vulgari Eloquio,” in two books, seeks to establish the Italian language 
as a literary tongue, and to lay down rules for poetical composition. 
“ De Aqua et Terra ” was completed about 1321. This discusses the ques¬ 
tion, then in dispute, whether in any place on the earth’s surface water is 
higher than the earth. It gives an insight into Dante’s studies and modes 
of thought. His wonderful poem, the “ Divina Commedia, ” was probably not 
completed till just before his death, but it bears the date of 1318. It is a 
literary masterpiece. The letters of Dante form an important part of his 
works, but we will not take the space to describe them here. We close this 





120 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


sketch by quoting a critical opinion concerning the “ Character of Dante's 
Genius: ” “ Dante may be said to have concentrated in himself the spirit of 
the middle age. Whatever there was of piety, of philosophy, of poetry, of 
love of nature, and of love of knowledge in those times is drawn to a focus in 
his writings. His is the first great name in literature after the night of the 
dark ages. The Italian language in all its purity and-sweetness, in its apti¬ 
tude for the tenderness of love and the violence of pasron, or the clearness 
of philosophical argument, sprang fully grown and fully armed from his 
brain. The ‘ Yita Nuova’ is still the best introduction to the study of the 
Tuscan tongue; the astronomy and science of the ‘Divine Comedy’ are 
obscure only in a translation. Dante’s reputation has passed through many 
vicissitudes, and much trouble has been spent by critics in comparing him 
with other poets of established fame. Read and commented upon in the 
Italian universities in the generation immediately succeeding his death, his 
name became obscured as the sun of the renaissance rose higher toward its 
meridian. In the 17th century he was less read than Petrarch, Tasso, or 
Ariosti; in the 18th he was almost universally neglected. His fame is now 
fully vindicated. Translations and commentaries issue from every press in 
Europe and America. Dante societies are formed to investigate the difficul¬ 
ties of his works. He occupies in the lecture-rooms of regenerated Italy a 
place by the side of those great masters whose humble disciple he avowed 
himself to be. The ‘Divine Comedy’ is indeed as true an epic as the 
‘iEneid, and Dante is as real a classic as Virgil. His metre is*as pliable 
and flexible to every mood of emotion, his diction as plaintive as sonorous. 
Like him he can immortalize by a simple expression, a person, a place, or a 
phase of nature. Dante is even truer in description than Virgil, whether he 
paints the snow falling in the Alps, or the homeward flight of birds, or the 
swelling of an angry torrent. But under this gorgeous pageantry of poetry 
there lies a unity of conception, a power of philosophic grasp, an earnestness 
of leligion which to the Roman poet were entirely unknown. Still more 
striking is the similarity between Dante and Milton. This may be said to 
he rather in the kindred nature of their subjects, and in the parallel develop¬ 
ment of their minds, than in any mere external resemblance. In both the 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


121 


man was greater than the poet; the souls of both were * like a star and dwelt 
apart.’ Both were academically trained in the deepest studies of their age; 
the labor which made Dante lean made Milton blind. The ‘ Doricke sweet¬ 
ness’ of the English poet is not absent from the tender pages of the 4 Vita 
Nuova.’ The middle life of each was spent in active controversy; each lent 
his services to the state; each felt the quarrels of his age to be the “business 
of posterity,” and left his warnings to ring in the ears of a later time. The 
lives of both were failures. ‘ On evil days though fallen and evil tongues,’ 
they gathered the concentrated experience of their lives into one immortal 
work, the quintessence of their hopes, their knowledge and their sufferings. 
But Dante is something more than this. Milton’s voice is grown faint to 
us —we have passed into other modes of expression and of thought. But if 
we had to select two names in literature who are still exercising their full 
influence on mankind, and whose teaching is still developing new sides to 
the coming generations, we should choose the names of Dante and Goethe. 


DE QUINCEY. 


Thomas De Quincey was born at Greenham, near Manchester, England, 
August 15, 1785, and he died in Edinburgh, December 8, 1859, aged seven¬ 
ty-four, and was buried in the West Churchyard. 

His father, an opulent merchant, came from a Norman family. He 
lived abroad much of his time to look after his interests, and for the benefit 
of his health. He died in his thirty-ninth year, leaving a wife and six chil¬ 
dren, with an ample fortune yielding an income of £1,600 per annum. Mrs. 
De Quincey was a lady of excellent qualities and fine culture, and she secured 
for her children the thorough education and good social advantages which 
her position and wealth afforded. “From boyhood he was more or less in 





122 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


contact with a polished circle; his education, easy to one of such native apti¬ 
tude, was sedulously attended to. When he was in his twelfth year, the fam¬ 
ily removed to Bath, where he was sent to the grammar school, at which he 
remained for about two years; and for a year more he attended another 
public school at Winkfield, Wiltshire. At both his proficiency was the mar¬ 
vel of his masters. At thirteen he wrote Greek with ease, and at fifteen he 
not only composed Greek verses in lyric measures, but could converse flu¬ 
ently in Greek and without embarrassment. One of his masters said of him, 
“That boy could harangue an Athenian mob better than you or I could an 
English one.” Toward the close of his fifteenth year, he visited Ireland, 
with a companion of his own age, Lord Westport, the son of Lord Altamont, 
an Irish peer, and spent there in residence and travel some months of the 
summer and autumn of 1800,—being a spectator at Dublin of the final rati¬ 
fication of the bill which united Ireland to Great Britain. On his return to 
England, his mother having now settled at St. John’s Priory, a residence near 
Chester, De Quincey was sent to the Manchester grammar school, mainly 
that it might be easier for him to get thence to Oxford through his obtaining 
one of the school exhibitions. 

He became discontented because he thought his guardians were not 
letting him advance fast enough, hence he ran away from school. The mat¬ 
ter was arranged for him to reside in Wales and have a weekly allowance, 
that he might prepare himself for college as soon as he wished. Not finding 
books to suit him, he again ran off and hid himself in London. There he 
remained for about one year. Becoming reconciled to his guardians, he was 
sent to Oxford in 1803, at the age of nineteen. In the second year of his 
college life he commenced the use of opium to allay neuralgic pains. The 
habit once formed held terrible sway over a part of his life. In 1808 he 
graduated from college, and in 1812 settled on the borders of Grasmere, 
where he might be near Wordsworth. De Quincey is said to have been the 
first man in all Europe to appreciate Wordsworth’s genius. Here, also, he 
had the society of Coleridge, Wilson and Southey. He continued his class¬ 
ical and German studies. In 1816 he married, and resided at Grasmere 
until 1820. Later he lived in London and Lasswade near Edinburgh. In 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


123 


a suburb of Edinburgh he spent the closing years of his life. He edited the 
“Westmoreland Gazette” for one year. 

De Quincey’s literary life covered a period of about fifty years, during 
which time he maintained himself by his pen. But a part of his life was so 
given over to the influence of opium, that his literary labors were not as exten¬ 
sive or as valuable as they otherwise might have been. He projected works 
that he could never arouse energy to complete. Finally driven to desperate 
circumstances, he commenced to write for magazines, and the success of his 
articles, combined with his need, induced him to place a partial control over 
his dreadful habit. Making a desperate effort to reform, he contributed his 
famous “Confessions of an English Opium Eater” to “The London Maga¬ 
zine.” In 1820 “The Confessions ” were published in book form, and at 
once attracted a remarkable degree of attention. They were remarkable for 
their disclosure of his excessive use of opium, and for the marvelous beauty 
of the style, its romantic episodes, and extraordinary power of dream paint¬ 
ing. 

“All De Quincey’s other writings appeared in periodicals—‘Black¬ 
wood’s Magazine,’ ‘Tait’s Magazine,’ ‘Hogg’s Instructor,’ etc. No other 
literary man of his time, it has been remarked, achieved so high and universal 
a reputation from merely fugitive efforts. Since his works were brought 
together, that reputation has not been merely maintained, but extended. The 
American edition of twelve volumes was reprinted in England in 1853, under 
the author’s own supervision, and extended to fourteen volumes; upon his 
death two more volumes were made up of previously uncollected material. 
For range ol thought and topic, within the limits of pure literature, no like 
amount of material of such quality of merit has proceeded from an eminent 
writer of his day. However profuse and discursive, De Quincey is always 
polished, and generally exact—a scholar, a wit, a man of the world, and a 
philosopher as well as a genius.” 

De Quincey’s power of sustaining a fascinating and elevated strain of 
* impassioned prose ” is allowed to be entirely his own. In this his genius 
most emphatically asserts itself; if it be not admitted that in that dread 
circle none durst walk but he, it will be conceded without hesitation that 





124 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


there he moves supreme. Another obvious quality of all his genius is its 
overflowing fullness of allusion and illustration, recalling his own description 
of a great philosopher or scholar: ‘Not one who depends simply on an infin¬ 
ite memory, but also on an infinite and electrical power of combination, 
bringing together from the four winds, like the angel of the resurrection, 
what else were dust from dead men’s bones, into the unity of breathing life. 

He was a born critic and dreamer, a logician by instinct and culture, 
a student by choice, a scholar by right of conquest of the stores of many 
minds, a writer of English of the first quality by dint of native command of 
language and long study and practice. A short and fragile, but well propor¬ 
tioned frame, a shapely and compact head, face beaming with intellectual 
light, with rare, almost feminine beauty of feature and complexion, a 
fascinating courtesy of manner, and a fullness, swiftness, and elegance of 
silvery speech—such was the irresistible ‘‘mortal mixture of earth s mould 
that men named De Quincy. He possessed in a high degree what the 
American poet Lowell calls “the grace of perfect breeding, everywhere per¬ 
suasive, and nowhere emphatic;” and his whole aspect and manner exercised 
an undefinable attraction over every one, gentle or simple, who came within 
his influence. 


CHARLES DICKENS. 


Charles Dickens was born at Landport, in Portsea, England, February 
7, 1812, and on the 9th of June, 1870, he passed away. His remains repose 
in Westminster Abbey. 

His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, stationed at Portsmouth, 
when Charles was born, but subsequently served in the same capacity at 
Chatham and London. The father was industrious, but failed to accumulate 
money very rapidly. Mrs. Dickens was a lady of energy and culture, and 
from her the boy received the rudiments of Latin. The father became 







IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


125 


embarrassed and was imprisoned in Marshalsea for debt. Charles was set 
to work in a blacking warehouse, for six shillings per week. In that estab¬ 
lishment, it was the boy’s duty to tie blue covers on pots of paste blacking. 
This uncongenial work he followed for about two years. In after life Dickens 
never complained of unkind treatment while thus employed, but he looked 
back over that period as the dark hour in his life. It was dark because 
uncongenial both in work and associates. The lad was quick to learn, 
sensitive, and ambitious to be “a learned and distinguished man.” Thus 
constituted, the chains of his bondage must have been very galling to him. 
“And perhaps he was right in after-life to wonder at the thoughtlessness of 
his parents in subjecting him to such a humiliation. His sufferings were so 
acute, and made such an impression on him, that years afterward he could 
not think of them without crying; and there were certain quarters of the 
town through which he used to pass to his daily work, and where he used to 
loiter with less than enough to eat, that he habitually shunned for their 
painful memories.” In his wretched condition there were numerous chances 
for him to become a rogue or a vagabond, but he survived these dangers and 
became a great novelist. Instead of sinking into the depth of the thronging 
atoms, he arose above them, or kept apart from them, observed them, and 
became their describer. It is difficult to tell how much of his success in 
after life was due to his severe schooling in the blacking warehouse. He did 
not learn the classics, but he did learn of the many varieties of life, odd and 
sad, laughter-moving and pitiful, that swarmed in the streets and inhabited 
the poorer houses of London. In this respect it was an instructive school. 
It was the true road to the knowledge which he used in his writings. Before 
his father’s misfortunes, the boy had devoured the contents of the paternal 
library, which consisted of “Roderick Random,” “Peregrine Pickle,” “Hum¬ 
phrey Clinker,” “Tom Jones,” “The Vicar of Wakefield,” “Don Quixote,” 
“Gil Bias,” “Robinson Crusoe,” “The Arabian Knights,” “Mrs. Inchbald’s 
Parces,” and “Tales of the Genii.” He was an attentive student and so far 
absorbed what he read as to live the life of his favorite characters. In that 
early period of his life, he tried to imitate what he read, wrote a tragedy 
founded upon one of the “Tales of the Genii,” and acquired great fame among 
his associates as a story teller. 



126 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


A new period soon commenced in the life of Charles. His father s 
affairs improved so far as to enable him to send the lad to school. At the 
age of fifteen, he was placed in an attorney’s office among the younger clerks, 
but poor chances for advancement induced him to abandon the office and take 
to shorthand as a business for life. In the law office he was a close observer, 
as may be seen in “Pickwick” and “Nickleby.” In the meantime, the father 
had become a newspaper parliamentary reporter; and the boy, after having 
mastered the difficulties of shorthand, “spent two years in reporting law 
cases, practicing in Doctors’ Commons and other law courts.” It would be 
difficult to conceive a more perfect way of completing the education of the 
future novelist, giving him an insight into the strange by-paths of that 
higher stratum of which he had before had but little experience. At the age 
of nineteen he entered the parliamentary gallery to enlarge his knowledge 
still further. He was a reporter of political speeches in and out of parlia¬ 
ment for five years, from 1831 to 1836. First he reported for the “True 
Sun,” then for the “Mirror of Parliament,” and finally for the “Morning 
Chronicle.” In his excursions into the country and back again with his 
“copy,” he saw the last of the old coach days and of the old inns that were 
a part of them; but it will be long, as Mr. Forster remarks, “before the 
readers of his living page see the last of the life of either. As a newspaper 
reporter Dickens distinguished himself; out of eighty or ninety he was 
acknowledged as the best. 

Dickens’ life as an author commenced in 1834. He sent to the “Old 
Monthly Magazine” a series of nine sketches under the title of “A Dinner at 
Poplar;” and later he was engaged to write some for an evening off-shoot of 
the “Morning Chronicle.” In the above he wrote under the nom de plume 
of “Boz,” a name which he adopted from the nickname of one of his brothers. 
In 1836 the first series of “Sketches by Boz” was collected and published in 
two volumes. So popular did the “Sketches” at once become, that the first 
edition was exhausted in a few months and another called for. “No wonder, 
for in them we find already in full swing the unflagging delight in pursuing 
the humorous side of a character, and the inexhaustible fertility in inventing 
ludicrous incidents, which had only to be displayed on a large scale to place 











CHARLES DICKENS 
















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129 


him at once on a pinnacle of fame. There are many of them, such as ‘The 
Parish,’ ‘The Boarding House,’ ‘Mr. Minns and his Cousin,’ and ‘The 
Misplaced Attachment of Mr. John Dounce,’ which show Dickens’ humor at 
its very richest. He had formed, too, by this time, his characteristic likes 
and dislikes, and plays them off upon his butts and favorites with the utmost 
frankness. The delight in homely sociability and cheerfulness, in the inno¬ 
cent efforts of simple people to make merry, the kindly satire of their little 
vanities and ambitions, the hearty ridicule of dry fogies who shut themselves 
up in selfish cares and reserves, and of sour mischief-maker3 who take 
pleasure in conspiring against the enjoyments of their neighbors,—these 
tendencies, which remained with Dickens to the last, are strongly marked in 
the ‘Sketches,’ though lighter-hearted in their expression than in his later 
w*orks. The mark and indispensable condition of all great work is there, 
that which Mr. Carlyle palls veracity—the description of what the writer has 
himself seen, heard, felt, the fearless utterance of his own sentiments in his 
own way.” 

In 1836 also appeared the first number of “The Posthumous Papers of 
the Pickwick Club.” These “Papers” were the outgrowth of a suggestion 
from the publishers, Messrs. Chapman & Hall. These gentlemen, together 
with the artist, Mr. Seymour, had agreed to issue a monthly serial to be 
illustrated. Dickens’ “Sketches” having attracted their attention, they pro¬ 
posed to him that he should furnish a series of articles descriptive of the 
adventures of a Nimrod Club, the members of which should go out shooting, 
fishing, and so forth, and get themselves into difficulties through their want 
of dexterity. Dickens undertook the work, but he obtained the diverting 
incidents for the artist through different machinery, namely, the Pickwick 
Club. The “Pickwick Papers” went off slowly till the fifth number, when 
Sam Weller was introduced. With this number the sales improved. Seeing 
the merit of Dickens’ writings Mr. Bentley contracted with him to edit a 
monthly magazine and to write a serial story for it, and also to write two other 
tales at an early date. But the “Pickwick Papers” were progressing and in 
a very few weeks the author stood at the very pinnacle of fame. One writer 
refers to him as standing beyond the reach of critics. The monthly sales 



130 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


reached 40,000 copies. Sam Weller’s sayings were catchwords in the streets 
and the household wherever the English language was spoken. In 1837, 
while the “Pickwick Papers” were appearing in monthly installments, he 
doubled his work by commencing “Oliver Twist.” The two progressed steadily 
side by side. In addition to the above, the “Life and Adventures of Nicholas 
Nickleby” appeared between April, 1838, and October, 1839. 

He resigned his editorship of “Bentley’s Miscellany,” and started a 
new publication entitled “Master Humphrey’s Clock,” the first number of 
which appeared in April, 1840. This number reached a sale of 70,000 copies. 
“Master Humphrey” was soon expanded into “The Old Curiosity Shop,” 
which appeared in weekly installments. The completion of “ Barnaby Budge, ” 
in 1841, also completed “Master Humphrey’s Clock.” 

In January, 1842, he set out for America. In this country he was 
accorded a reception greater than Americans usually give to royal visitors. 
He returned in June to write “American Notes.” The people of the United 
States complained, and justly too, of the treatment they received at his 
hands. In his “Notes,” he was frequently unjust, but all was apparently 
forgotten before his second visit. 

In 1843 he commenced “Martin Chuzzlewit,” but this did not sell to 
meet his expectations. In the same year he wrote the '‘Christmas Carols.” 
Quitting England again, he settled in Genoa, where he finished “Chuzzlewit,” 
and wrote the “Chimes,” his Christmas tale for 1844. He visited various 
parts of Italy, and then returned to England in 1845, by way of Switzerland. 
A foitnight s experience as editor of the “Daily News,” convinced him that 
he was out of his place, hence he resigned and again started abroad and 
wrote a novel in shilling monthly numbers. “Dombey and Son” was the 
result. A series of letters published in the “Daily News,” he afterward 
collected into a volume, entitled “Pictures from Italy.” “David Copperfield” 
appeared in 1849 and 1850, perhaps the most perfect, natural and agreeable 
of his novels. “Bleak House” appeared in 1852-’53; “Hard Times,” 1854- 
“Little Dorrit,” lS55-’57; “A Tale of Two Cities,” 1859; “Great Expecta¬ 
tions,” 1860-’61; “The Uncommercial Traveller,” 1860; “Our Mutual 
briend, 1864- 65. An interval of five years between this and the first 





In the literary world. 


ifti 


number of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” was broken only by contributions 
to three Christmas numbers of “All the Year Round,” and “A Holiday 
Romance,” and “George Silverman’s Explanation,” written for an American 
publisher. 

For the purpose of establishing closer relations between himself and 
the people he had started a weekly publication, but in 1858 he decided to 
draw still closer to the people by a series of popular public readings from his 
works. Having visited various parts of the United Kingdom, he renewed his 
acquaintance with the Americans. In 1867-68 he crossed the ocean and 
visited some of the principal cities of the United States. The success of 
these readings was enormous from every point of view. Mr. Forster men¬ 
tions that Dickens remitted from America £10,000 as the result of thirty-four 
readings. Returning to England, he commenced his work upon “Edwin 
Drood,” but died before its completion. In his will he had desired that he 
should be buried in “an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private 
manner, without any announcement of the time and place of his burial.” 
These conditions were observed, but his executors did not consider them in¬ 
consistent with his receiving the honor of interment in Westminster Abbey, 
where he was buried on the 14th of June, 1870, by the side of the honored 
scholars, statesmen, and warriors of England. 

The novels of Dickens will live because they take hold of the perma¬ 
nent and universal sentiments of the race,—sentiments which pervade all 
classes, and which no culture can ever eradicate. His fun may be too boister¬ 
ous for the refined tastes of his own time, or for the matter of that, of pos¬ 
terity ; his pathos may appear maudlin; but they carried everything before 
them when they first burst upon our literature, because, however much exag¬ 
gerated, they were exaggerations of what our race feels in its inner heart; 
and unless culture .in the future works a miracle, and carries its changes 
beneath the surface, we may be certain that Dickens will keep his hold. The 
best critics unite in ranking Dickens among the greatest novelists of all 
time. 




132 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD 


BENJAMIN DISRAELI. 


The Right Honorable Benjamin Disraeli was born in London, En¬ 
gland, December 21, 1804, and he died in London, April 19, 1881, at the 
age of seventy-six. 

His father was Mr. Isaac DTsraeli, a man of great ability. The father 
belonged to a Jewish family that had been driven from Spain by the Inqui¬ 
sition. The family settled in Venice about the close of the fifteenth century, 
and assumed the now famous name of DTsraeli. 

Benjamin Disraeli was most fortunate in'his parentage. The son of a 
literary genius, he had all the opportunities for culture that books and 
teachers and paternal encouragement could give. Having secured an excel¬ 
lent education privately, he was placed in a solicitor’s office that he might 
acquire a knowledge of business. As in the case of his father, Benjamin s 
inclinations were for literature, not business. Encouraged in his inclina¬ 
tions, he appeared as an author in 1826, in a novel entitled “ Vivian Grey.” 
The two volumes which appeared at first were increased by a second part the 
next year. “Vivian Grey” became at once the book of the season and the 
talk of the town. Referring so directly to public men, society and character 
in high life, it was read with eagerness by nearly all classes. In 1828 his 
vein of sarcasm was continued in “ The Voyage of Captain Popanilla, ” an 
adaptation of Swift’s “Gulliver"’ to modern times and circumstances. 
He next traveled through Italy, Greece, visited Constantinople, and 
explored Syria, Egypt and Nubia. Upon his return to England he 
commenced to take part in politics; but we will give an outline of his lit¬ 
erary and political work separately. From 1830 to 1833 he produced “The 
Young Duke,” “Contarini Fleming,” “ The Wondrous Tale of Alroy,” “ The 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


133 


Rise of Iskander,” “Ikion in Heaven,” etc. In 1834 appeared in quarto 
“ The Revolutionary Epick,” a poem which is considered about the poorest 
of his writings. “ Henrietta Temple,” “A Love Story,” and “ Venetia” were 
published in 1836-37; “Alcaros,” a tragedy, in 1839; 1844-45 two success¬ 
ful semi-political novels, “ Coningsby, or the New Generation,” and “Sybil, or 
the Two Nations;” 1847, “ Tancred, or the New Crusade.” This work closed 
Disraeli’s career as a novelist for twenty-four years. His next work was a 
volume entitled “Lord George Bentinck, a Political Biography,” published 
in 1851. In 1870 he again came forward with the novel “Lothair. ” His 
literary life closed with “ Endymion.” 

It remains now for us to tell the story of his political life. Upon his 
return from the tour which we have already described, he commenced to 
mingle in politics. Desiring a seat in parliament, he made two unsuccessful 
attempts as an extreme Reformer, and one as a Conservative. Three times 
defeated, he finally became the leader of the party known as “Young En¬ 
gland.” This party proposed to look to the young men of England for 
national reform and prosperity. About 1837 Disraeli was sent to par¬ 
liament from the borough of Maidstone, along with Mr. Wyndham Lewis, 
who died in 1838. In the following year, Disraeli married the widow of his 
late colleague, who, in 1868, was elevated to the peerage with the title of 
Viscountess Beaconsfield. 

His first speech was looked for with much interest. Having become 
famous as a writer, and having made numerous threats against leaders of the 
opposition, which gave them to understand that they might expect a warm 
contest if ever he reached parliament, the members of that body expected he 
would make them considerable amusement, if he did not gain a complete 
triumph. At the appointed time he commenced his speech, which in style 
and delivery so resembled Disraeli’s oriental magnificence as to excite shouts 
of derisive laughter. Fairly broken down, he took his seat with the prophetic 
statement: “ I have begun several times many things, and have often suc¬ 
ceeded at last. I shall sit down now, but the time will come when you will 
hear me.” He profited by the failure, and, determined to avenge the 
wrongs done him, he commenced a thorough discipline which finally enabled 
7 



134 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


him to become the leader in that trying arena where he first failed. It was 
Jeffrey’s assault on Byron which first woke to activity the powers of that 
great genius; so the derisive laughter that greeted Disraeli’s first speech was 
the birth-pang of his statesmanship. “ He came furious to life, ready-armed 
like Minerva, blazing in sudden light and deadly power, with a quiver full of 
poisoned arrows, an unsheathed sword which cut wherever it touched.” He 
soon became conspicuous as a debater. His opponents were handled with 
great severity. Sir Robert Peel, because of liis views on the question of 
handling the trade interests of England, “ was assaulted night after night 
by Disraeli in speeches memorable for their bitterness, their concentrated 
sarcasm, and studied invective.” In 1851 he was made Chancellor of the 
Exchequer, but retired with his party in less than a year. Upon Lord 
Derby’s return to power in 1858, he also returned to his old position. At 
the close of a year the administration was overthrown, and Disraeli retired. 
In 1868, he was appointed first Lord of the Treasury, or Premier, a position 
he held till the administration was changed to that of Mr. Gladstone. In 
1874 he was again restored to the high office of First Minister of the Crown, 
and in 1876 he was called to the House of Lords as Earl of Beaconsfield, a 
title conferred upon him after the death of his wife, the Yicountess of Bea¬ 
consfield. 

His life as a man of letters, and his efforts as a politician and debater 
were crowned with brilliant success, and he takes his place in history as one 
of the most remarkable men of his time. 



in the Literary world. 


136 


DRAKE. 


Joseph Kodman Drake was born in New York, August 7, 1795, and he 
died in his native town, September 21, 1826, at the age of twenty-five. 

At an early age he and his three sisters were left in destitute circum¬ 
stances by the death of their father. With true heroism he determined his 
course in life, and entered upon the study of medicine. Having taken his 
degree, he married in 1816. His wife’s father, Mr. Henry Eckford, was a 
wealthy ship-builder, and he at once placed the young couple in possession 
of an ample fortune. 

Among his most intimate associates may be mentioned James Feni- 
more Cooper, the eminent American novelist, and Fitz-Green Halleck, the 
accomplished poet. Drake’s longest and perhaps best poem, “The Culprit 
Fay,” written in 1816, was suggested by his conversations with Cooper and 
Halleck upon the poetical uses of American rivers. The poem became pop¬ 
ular and at once took rank as one of the finest imaginative poems of Ameri¬ 
can origin. In 1818 Drake traveled in Europe, and while abroad wrote sev¬ 
eral very excellent, witty, poetical letters to Halleck. 

Eeturning to his own country, he formed a literary partnership with 
Halleck. The two friends wrote together, and signed their names variously 
as follows: “Croaker,” “Croaker, Jr.,” and “Croaker & Co.” Under the above 
signatures they carried on an interesting and amusing correspondence through 
the columns of the New York “Evening Post.” The partnership was im¬ 
mensely popular, and the public looked with much interest for the Croaker 
verses in “The Post.” But Drake’s health failed before the close of the 
year, and he went to New Orleans, where he spent the winter. In the spring 
of 1820 he returned to New York, where he died with consumption within a 




136 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


few weeks of his arrival. He was buried at Hunter’s Point, in Westchester 
County. 

The young poet lived just long enough to capture the hearts of the 
people, and to write a few poems that have made his name immortal. The 
esteem in which he was held is beautifully expressed by Halleck: 

“Green be the turf above thee, 

Friend of my better days! 

None knew thee but to love thee, 

None named thee but to praise.” 

The “Croakers” were collected and included in an addition of Halleck s 
poems published in 1869. In 1835 his only daughter, Mrs. Janet Halleck 
DeKay, published Drake’s poetry in one volume. This volume includes The 
American Flag,” a lively, patriotic, and beautiful poem, which alone would 
keep the author’s name in the valued literature of his country. There is no 
more popular poem in the language. It will always stand by the side of 
“The Star Spangled Banner,” by Francis S. Key; “Hail Columbia,” by 
Joseph Hopkins; and will form a part of the popular current literature with 
Wordsworth’s “Old Oaken Bucket,” and J. H. Payne’s “Home, Sweet 
Home.” 


JOHN DRYDEN. 


John Dryden was born at Aldwinkle, in Northamptonshire, August 9, 
1631, and died May 1,1700. 

Dryden’s family came from Cumberland stock, although for three gen¬ 
erations his ancestors had lived in Northamptonshire, where they had acquired 
estates and a baronetcy. The family had inter-married with other landed 
families in that county. The poet’s great-grandfather carried the name south, 
and acquired the estate of Canons Ashby, by marriage. He is said to have 








JOHN DRYDEN 




















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


139 


been so proud of his acquaintance with Erasmus, that he named his eldest 
son Erasmus. 

The name was also borne by the poet’s father. The natural tenden¬ 
cies of the family were Puritan and anti-monarchical, and “ Sir Erasmus 
Dryden chose rather to go to prison than to pay loan money to Charles I.” 
Sir John Dryden, the poet’s uncle, and Erasmus, his father, served on Gov¬ 
ernment commissions during the Commonwealth. 

Dryden’s education was in keeping with the standing of the respecta¬ 
ble families from which he came. The poet was the eldest of a family of 
fourteen. The father’s fortune, although not great, procured the boy’s admis¬ 
sion to Westminster school as a King’s scholar, under the famous Dr. Busby. 
In May, 1650, he passed from Westminster up to Cambridge. In the same 
year he was elected a scholar of Trinity, and he took his B. A. degree in 
1654. His father died in 1654, leaving the young poet two-thirds of a 
small estate in Blakesley, worth about sixty pounds per annum. Dryden is 
said to have spent the next three years at Cambridge, where he laid the foun¬ 
dation of that habit of learned discussion of literary methods which is so 
remarkable a feature in the prefaces to his plays and poems. His first 
poems of any length showed strong marks of scholarly attainments, and a 
good command of verse. 

In 1657 he left the university and took up his residence in London. 
Here it is claimed that Sir Gilbert Pickering, a favorite of Cromwell, made 
Dryden his clerk. The Protector died in 1658. Dryden emerged from 
obscurity in his “ Heroic Stanzas, ” to the memory of Cromwell. This poem 
is a magnificent tribute to the greatness of the Protector. Each stanza in 
the poem contains one clear-cut, brilliant point, finely embellished by the 
grandeur of the massive whole. As it gives great pain to lose confidence in 
a friend, so are our finer sensibilities shocked at the moral propriety of Dry¬ 
den’s next appearance in verse. A hereditary Puritan and a panegyrist of 
Cromwell, we ought to expect tnat he would retire, like the great Milton, and 
remain true to the principles of his party; but upon the restoration of the 
king, Dryden deplores his long absence and the prosperity of the rebels, and 
hails the return of Charles in “ A straea Redux. ” His haste to welcome 



MO 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Charles shows a shameful contrast to Milton, who was awaiting his fate in 
blindness. This poem is inferior to -Heroic Stanzas.” The unfavorable 
contrast between these two poems is owing to the fact, no doubt, that - He¬ 
roic Stanzas ” paid a tribute to liberty, while “ Astrsea Redux ” welcomed the 
return of tyranny. Again Dryden shows a shamelessly accommodating 
spirit. The return of Charles revived the popularity of the stage, and Dry¬ 
den turned his pen toward tragedy. His first effort in this direction proved 
a failure, whereupon he directed his attention to comedy. In doing this, he 
makes the following confession : - My chief endeavors are to delight the age 
in which I live.” He acknowledged his inability to appear to advantage out¬ 
side of verse, but he found it convenient to resort to the best paying branches 
of literature for a support. However, he does not expect to improve his rep¬ 
utation by his writings for the stage. -The Wild Gallant,” taken from 
Spanish sources, and acted in 1663, was a failure. In the same year 
appeared-The Rival Ladies,” which was described as-a very innocent 
and most pretty, witty play.” 

“The Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery,” produced in 1673, followed 
the fate of his first play. After twenty years’ experience to guide him in 
writing plays, his -Limberham, or the Kind Keeper,” was considered too 
indecent for the stage. In verse Dryden was fortunate. He assisted Sir 
Robert Howard, in 1664, in composing “ The Indian Queen,” a tragedy in 
heroic verse. This was the greatest success since the re-opening of the stage. 
Dryden formed the acquaintance of Lady Elizabeth Howard, whom he mar¬ 
ried in 1663. The success of -The Indian Queen” led to - The Indian 
Emperor,” which was acted in 1665. 

While Dryden was residing in the country at the house of his father-in- 
law, the Earl of Berkshire, he prepared an -Essay of Dramatic Poetry.” 
His brother-in-law, Sir Robert Howard, made some offensive comments on 
the essay. “ Dryden at once replied to his brother-in-law in a masterpiece of 
sarcastic retort and vigorous reasoning.” This reply appeared as his pref¬ 
ace to “The Indian Emperor.” Dryden wrote with varying success, till he 
had passed the middle life. From about 1666 till 1678 he wrote under con¬ 
tract for the stage. His contract came to light by his undertaking to write 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


141 


a play for a rival house. Finally, “ Tyrannic Love, or the Royal Martyr, ” a 
tragedy, proved very popular. “ All for Love,” and “Antony and Cleopa¬ 
tra,” are two excellent plays. Dryden declares that he put his whole energy 
into the play “All for Love,” and wrote it for himself, not caring what the 
public might think of it. If Dryden had died before this date, we should not 
feel it our duty to rank him among the stars whose biographies fill this 
volume. 

At last our author abandoned heroic couplets and attempted satire. 
Striking the new idea with his “majestic step and energy divine, he imme¬ 
diately took the lead.” His first step was Mulgrave’s “Essay on Satire,” 
circulated in 1679, followed in the same year by Oldham’s “Satire on the 
Jesuits.” The immense success of these satires caused Dryden to take the 
field as a satirist in 1681. “Absalom and Achitophel ” passed through nine 
editions in rapid succession. These satires secured his fame and made him 
supreme in English literature during the closing years of his life. He was 
also Poet Laureate. 


GEORGE ELIOT. 


Mary Ann Evans was born at Griff House, England, near Nuneaton, 
November 22, 1820. Upon reaching womanhood, she married the eminent 
English author, George H. Lewes. By his suggestion, she commenced to 
write fiction. Her literary name was George Eliot, and by that name we 
shall know her in the world of letters. She died in London, December 
22, 1880. 

Her father, Mr. Robert Evans, was able to give his daughter an 
exceptionally good education. There were and are so many bad schools for 
girls that it was a piece of singular good fortune that Mrs. Wellington, at 
Nuneaton, and afterward Miss Franklin, at Coventry, undertook her educa- 






142 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


tion. To Mrs. Wellington, the writer in the “Graphic” thinks that George 
Eliot owed some of the beauty of her intonation in reading English poetry. 
Besides the studies at school, she was fortunate in finding a willing instructor 
in the then head master of Coventry Grammar School, Mr. Sheepshanks; 
and motherless as she was, she possibly studied more deeply than a mother’s 
care for a delicate daughter’s health would have permitted. However this 
may be, the years that she spent in Coventry, on her father’s removal to 
Foleshill, till his death in 1849, were years of excessive work, issuing in a 
riper culture than that attained by any other prominent English woman of 
our age, and only approached by that of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Her 
first introduction to serious literary work was brought about by Mr. and Mis. 
Bray, of Coventry. Mrs. Bray’s brother, Mr. Charles Hennell, was interested 
in a translation of Strauss’ “Leben Jesu,” which had been intrusted to the 
lady he was about to marry, and who had performed about one-fourth of the 
work. When the lady was married, the work of completing the translation 
was turned over to our author, who performed her duty most acceptably. 

On Mr. Evans’ death, in 1849, his daughter went abroad with the 
Brays, and staid behind them at Geneva for purposes of study. Some time 
after her return to England she became a boarder in the house of Mr. — 
now Dr. — Chapman, who with his wife, was in the habit of receiving 
ladies into their family. She assisted Mr. Chapman in the editorship of the 
“Westminster Beview,” and her literary career in London was fairly begun. 
Her work on the “Westminster Review” was chiefly editorial. During the 
years in which she was connected with it she wrote far fewer articles than 
might have been supposed. The most important of them were the following, 
written between 1852 and 1859, inclusive: “Women in France,” “Madame 
De Sable;” “Evangelical Teachings” (on Dr. Cumming); “The Natural 
History of German Life;” “German Wit” (on Heine); “Worldliness and 
Other Worldliness’ l (on Young and Cowper). 

While in London she formed numerous valuable acquaintances among 
literary persons, among whom may be mentioned Herbert Spencer, Mr. Pigott, 
and George H. Lewes. Her acquaintance with Lewes resulted in her mar- 






GEOKGE ELIOT. 
















































































- 
















































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


145 


riage to him. These two eminent scholars lived together most happily; and 
each profited by the companionship of the other. 

Her own somewhat somber cast of thought was cheered, enlivened and 
diversified by the vivacity and versatility which characterized Mr. Lewes. 
Was the character of Ladislaw, to ourselves one of very great charm, in any 
degree drawn from George Henry Lewes, as his wife first remembered him? 
The suggestion that she should try her hand at fiction undoubtedly came 
from Mr. Lewes. Probably no great writers ever know their real vein. But 
for this outward stimulation, she might have remained through life the 
accurate translator, the brilliant reviewer, the thoughtful poet, to whom 
accuracy of poetic form was somewhat wanting, rather than as the writer of 
fiction who has swayed the hearts of men as no other writer but Walter 
Scott has done, or even attempted to do. 

In the maturity of her life and intellectual powers she became known 
as a writer of fiction. There are those who regard the “ Scenes of Clerical 
Life” as her best work. Beautiful as they are, that is not our opinion, and, 
at any rate, the “Scenes” failed to attract much notice at first. The publi¬ 
cation of “Adam Bede,” in 1859, however, took the world by storm. Five 
editions were sold within as many months. Considerable anxiety was mani¬ 
fested as to the authorship of the novel. In this matter, the actual author 
was greatly complimented, for the popularity of her work induced one Joseph 
Liggins to copy the entire book, and then, by exhibiting his manuscript, to 
claim the authorship. The impostor received some money by subscription 
before the authorship of “Adam Bede” was fully settled. In 1859 also ap¬ 
peared “The Mill on the Floss,” a work fully up to the standard of her former 
producti6n; and in 1801, “Silas Marner” sustained George Eliot’s reputation 
as a powerful w'riter. In 1863 she published a more ambitious work than 
any before attempted. It was an historical novel of Italian life in the days 
of Savonarola, entitled “Romola.” By many this is considered her greatest 
intellectual effort. She published “Felix Holt, the Radical,” in 1866; 
“Middlemarch, a Study of English Provincial Life,” 1871-72; “Daniel 
Deronda,” a story of modern English life, 1876; “The Gypsie Queen,” an 
elaborate dramatic poem, 1868; “Agatha,” a poem, 1869. In 1878 her 



146 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


husband died, thus leaving her alone. The loss was deeply felt by her, but 
she soon commenced to enter society again, when she married Mr. J. W. 
Cross. Although many of her friends were not favorable to the new union, 
yet it proved to be a happy one. In company with Mr. Cross, she visited 
Italy, and her health seemed greatly benefited by that sunny clime. Upon 
returning to England, however, the severe winter which followed was most 
unfavorable. She moved to her new home in Chelsea, but from the effects 
of a severe cold, died Avithin two Aveeks of the change, and was laid to rest 
by the side of Mr. George Henry LeAves. 

The complete works of George Eliot have been issued in this country, 
in eight volumes. While she has Avritten some verses of considerable merit, 
yet her fame rests upon her prose works. There is probably no question but 
what she is the greatest female novelist England has produced, and a large 
class of critical writers deem her the greatest that ever lived. 


R W. EMERSON. 


Ralph Waldo Emerson, the most original of American philosophers 
and essayists, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, May 25, 1803, and he 
died at Concord, in his native State, April 27, 1882. 

His father was a Unitarian minister, and the boy was trained for the 
same profession. Emerson entered Harvard University at the age of four¬ 
teen and graduated at eighteen. He was ordained minister of a Boston 
Unitarian congregation in 1829, but changes in his religious views led to his 
resignation of his charge in 1832. 

In 1833 he visited England, Avhere he spent a year, then returned and 
lived a quiet, retired life at Concord, Massachusetts. 

His pen first attracted attention in 1837, through two orations entitled 








RALPH WALDO EMERSON 



























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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


140 


“ Nature and Man Thinking,” delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa Society at 
Cambridge. In 1838 appeared his “ Address to the Senior Class in Divinity 
College, Cambridge,” also “ Literary Ethics, ” an oration. In 1841 he brought 
out “The Method of Nature,” “ Man the Reformer,” the first series of his 
“Essays,” and several lectures; 1844, “Young America,” and the second 
series of “Essays.” 

For four years, from 1840 to 1844, Mr. Emerson was associated with 
Margaret Fuller, Countess d’Ossoli, in conducting a literary journal, entitled 
“The Dial;” and on the death of the Countess, he joined with Mr. W. H. 
Canning in writing a memoir of that learned and remarkable woman, which 
was published in 1852. In 1846 he brought out a volume of poetry. In 
1848 he revisited England and delivered a course of lectures in Exeter Hall, 
London. “The logicians have an incessant triumph over him,” said Har¬ 
riet Martineau, “but their triumph is of no avail; he conquers minds as 
well as hearts.” In the succeeding year he delivered another course of lect¬ 
ures upon “ Representative Men.” These lectures are considered among the 
greatest of his works. In 1856 appeared “English Traits;” 1860, “The 
Conduct of Life;” 1865, an “Oration on the Death of President Lincoln;” 
1870, “Society and Solitude,” twelve essays; 1875, “Parnassus,” “Selected 
Poems,” and a volume of “ Essays.” In 1866 Harvard College conferred 
upon Mr. Emerson the degree of LL. D. 

For profound and original thought he has but few equals and perhaps 
no superiors. He is known as the American Carlyle. No man has made 
a greater or more lasting impression upon the literature of the age than has 
the great American essayist and poet. 

It is impossible not to be refreshed and gratified by Emerson’s prose; 
but perhaps his poetry more completely carries the reader with it, as being a 
higher and purer production of genius. The best passages of it are indeed 
as unmitigated poetry as ever was written; they are poetry down to the last 
syllable; they are verses which, as he himself expresses it, seem to be found not 
made. Their meaning is as intimately connected with their form as sound 
is with speech. The mystic obscurity of some of the poems, however, and 
the unfamiliar subjects treated, have discouraged or repelled many from the 




150 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


study of any of them. In reading poetry the mood and the point of view of 
the poet must he caught, otherwise all is in vain. Emerson s point of view 
is so far from being conventional or obvious, and is, besides, so lofty and 
abstract, that the careless and hasty glance of the general reader cannot be 
expected to apprehend it. Yet such lines as those which compose the poem 
called “ Forerunners, ” (to select an instance) cannot be paralleled by any 
contemporary poet; they even recall, in elevation of motive and sustained 
beauty of symbolic expression, Shakespeare’s matchless sonnet which begins, 
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds,” etc. Every word tells, and 
there is a grand space and breathing room around every word. The move¬ 
ment of the verse is pliant and varied; the choice of words is felicitous and 
naive, and there are kindlings of imagination worthy of the greatest masters. 

Emerson was a fearless critic, and such men as Longfellow, Lowell, 
Holmes and Whittier, were never offended at his apparent severity in review¬ 
ing their writings. He was rarely assailed for his criticisms. Speaking of 
the magical suggestiveness of Shakespeare’s expression, he said: “ The reci¬ 
tation begins; one golden word leaps out immortal from all this painted ped¬ 
antry, and sweetly torments us with invitations to its own inaccessible homes ” 
The scholarly critic and essayist, E. P. Whipple, thus writes of Emerson: 
“After his return from his second visit to England, in 1847, I had a natural 
wish to learn his impressions of the distinguished men he had met. His 
judgment of Tennyson was this, that he was the most ‘ satisfying ’ of the 
men of letters he had seen. He witnessed one of Macaulay’s brilliant feats 
in conversation at a dinner where Hallam was one of the guests. The talk 
was on the question whether the ‘ additional letters ’ of Oliver Cromwell, 
lately published by Carlyle, were spurious or genuine. ‘For my part,’ said 
Emerson, ‘the suspicious fact about them was this, that they all seemed 
written to sustain Mr. Carlyle’s view of Cromwell’s character. But the discus¬ 
sion turned on the external evidences of their being forgeries. Macaulay 
overcame everybody at the table, including Hallam, by pouring out with vic¬ 
torious volubility instances of the use of w r ords in a different meaning from 
that they bore in Cromwell’s time, or by citing words which were not in use 
at all until half a century later. A question which might have been settled 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


151 


in a few minutes by the consent of a few men of insight opened a tiresome 
controversy which lasted during the whole dinner. Macaulay seemed to have 
the best of it; still I did not like the arrogance with which he paraded his 
minute information; but then there was a tire, a speed, fury, talent, and 
effrontery in the fellow which were very taking.’ ” When Emerson, on his 
return, made in his “ English Traits ” his short, contemptuous criticism on 
Macaulay as a writer, representing the material rather than the spiritual 
interests of England, it is evident that the verbal bullet hit the object at 
which it was aimed in the white. “ The brilliant Macaulay, who expresses 
the tone of the English governing classes of the day, explicitly teaches that 
good means good to eat, good to wear, material commodity; that the glory 
of modern philosophy is its direction or ‘fruit,’ to yield economical inven¬ 
tions, and that its merit is to avoid ideas and to avoid morals. IJe thinks it 
the distinctive merit of the Baconian philosophy, in its triumph over the old 
Platonic, its disentangling the intellect from theories of the all-Fair, and the 
all-Good, and pinning it down to the making a better sick-chair and a better 
wine-whey for an invalid; this not ironically, but in good faith; that ‘ solid 
advantage,’ as he calls it—meaning always sensual benefit—is the only 
good.” This criticism, though keen, is undoubtedly one-sided. Macaulay 
felt it. In the height of his fame, in January, 1850, he writes in his diary: 
“ Many readers give credit for profundity to whatever is obscure, and call all 
that is perspicuous shallow. But coragio! and think of A. D. 2850. Where 
will your Emersons be then?” Well, it may be confidently predicted, they 
will at least march abreast of the Macaulays. 

His works are translated into all the languages of Europe, and are 
read by thinkers and scholars all over the world. The thinking portion of 
society will always treasure up the memory and the works of “ the sage of 
Concord. ” 





152 


in the Literary world. 


EDWABD EGGLESTON. 


Edward Eggleston, an American author, was born at Vevay, Indiana, 
December, 1837. Owing to ill health his education was irregular, but by 
no means neglected. At the early age of nineteen he entered the ministiy 
in the Methodist church. Soon after this he moved to Minnesota, where he 
spent some years in pastoral work. His health still being poor interfered to 
some extent with his work. In 1866 he removed to Evanston, Ill., where he 
edited “The Sunday School Teacher” and contributed much to other papers, 
especially stories for children. In 1870 he became literary editor on the 
“Independent” of New York and later editor of “Hearth and Home.” In 1872 
he took charge of a Congregational church in Brooklyn, but continued his 
literary work, contributing to literature some of our most popular novels. 
“The Hoosier School-Master” appeared in 1871 and has had a wide sale. 
“The End of the World” was published in 1872, and was followed by “The 
Mysteries of Metropolisville.” In 1875 he gave “The Circuit Eider” which 
has passed through many editions; “Boxy” in 1878. “The Hoosier School-boy” 
added to his popularity. In 1880 he began publishing in Harper’s Magazine 
“A History of Life in the United States.” Later he published “The 
Graysons.” 

He is a regular contributor to the best American periodicals and holds 
high place in his chosen field. 







EPWARD EGGLESTON. 



































































































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IN the literary world. 


1SS 


EDWARD EVERETT. 


Edward Everett was born in Dorchester, near Boston, Massachusetts, 
November 11, 1794, and he died January 15, 1865. 

His father was the Reverend Oliver Everett, for some time a Congre¬ 
gational minister in Boston, and afterward judge of probate for Norfolk 
County. The father died when Edward was a child, and the mother removed 
to Boston after her husband’s death. 

Everett entered Harvard College, Cambridge, when he was only thir¬ 
teen years of age, and took his degree of bachelor of arts at the age of 
seventeen. He was a thorough student, and took the first honors of his 
class. While at college he was the chief editor of “The Lyceum,” the 
earliest in the series of college journals published at the American Cam-, 
bridge. His verses and prose essays then show some of the facility and 
grace which appear in his later writings, and much of the humor which in 
later times he was always trying to repress. The advice of a distinguished 
preacher in Boston led him to prepare for the pulpit, and in this calling he 
at once distinguished himself. He was called to the ministry of one of the 
largest Boston churches before he was twenty years old. His sermons and 
his theological writings attracted wide attention in that community. But 
his tastes were then, as always, those of a scholar; and in 1814, after a ser¬ 
vice of little more than a year in the pulpit, he resigned his charge to accept 
a professorship of Greek literature in Harvard College. After nearly five 
years spent in Europe in preparation, he entered with alacrity on his duties, 
and, for five more years, gave a vigorous impulse, not simply to the study of 
Greek, but to all the work of the college. About the same time he assumed 
the charge of the “North American Review,” which now became a quarterly; 






156 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and he was indefatigable in contributing on a great variety of subjects. The 
success of bis lectures in Cambridge, and the enthusiasm aroused by the 
rebellion in Greece led him to deliver a series of popular lectures in Boston, 
on Greek antiquities. They were the first lectures on purely literary or his¬ 
torical subjects ever delivered in America, and were the first steps toward a 
system of popular entertainment and education which now has very wide 
sweep in the United States. He was eagerly engaged in this country in the 
measures taken for the relief of Greece in her struggle. 

Edward Everett’s life is almost equally distinguished in statesman¬ 
ship, authorship, public lectures, and the interest he took in public enter¬ 
prises. For convenience in considering his life we will keep these items 
separate. Briefly, then, the following is his public record: In 1824 he 
entered Congress, where he remained for ten years. He was on the commit¬ 
tee of foreign affairs during the whole ten years, and he served, also, on 
numerous other important committees. In 1835 he was nominated for gov¬ 
ernor of Massachusetts, and elected. He brought to the duties of the office 
the untiring diligence which is the characteristic of his public life. We can 
only allude to a few of the measures which received his efficient support,— 
the establishment of the board of education, the first of such boards in the 
United States; the scientific surveys of the States, the first of such public 
surveys; the criminal law commission, and the preservation of a sound cur¬ 
rency under the panic of 1837. Everett filled the office of governor for four 
years. 

Everett availed himself of the opportunity, the following spring, to 
make a visit with his family to Europe. In 1841, while residing in Florence, 
he was named United States minister to England, and arrived in London to 
enter upon the duties of his mission at the close of that year. 

Polk’s elevation to the presidency led to Everett’s recall in 1845. He 
was immediately appointed to the presidency of Harvard College, but at the 
end of three years his failing health compelled him, under the advice of his 
physician, to resign. His retirement was of short duration. Upon the death 
of Daniel Webster, Everett was made Secretary of State and served during 
the closing part of President Fillmore’s administration. As soon as he was 







IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


159 


relieved from this office, he was chosen to represent Massachusetts in the 
United States Senate. He entered upon the duties of this new position with 
his usual zeal and intelligence, but before the close of his term of office, he 
was obliged to resign on account of his poor health. 

Everett’s literary record may be given in connection with his public 
lectures. He was perhaps the most finished orator on this continent. The 
ten years of his life after he had retired from public office most widely estab¬ 
lished his reputation and extended his influence throughout America. He 
was frequently invited to deliver an oration on one or another public topic of 
historical or other interest. With him, these orations, instead of being the 
ephemeral entertainments of an hour, became careful studies of some impor¬ 
tant theme, so that the collected editions of them is now one of the standard 
books of reference in an American’s library. Eager to avert, if possible, the 
impending conflict of arms, Everett prepared an oration on Washington, 
which he delivered in every part of America. The eagerness to hear him 
was so great that, from the first, his hosts arranged, almost always, that 
tickets should be sold to all auditors; and as he traveled wholly at his own 
expense, the audiences thus contributed more than one hundred thousand 
dollars for the purchase of the old home of Washington at Mount Yernon, 
and the securing it as a shrine for American patriotism. 

He also prepared the article on Washington for the “ Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,” which was printed in book form in 1860. In 1858 he entered 
into a contract with Robert Bonner, editor of the “New York Ledger,” to 
write one article a week for one year, in consideration of $10,000 to be paid 
into the Mount Yernon fund. These articles were republished as the “Mount 
Yernon Papers” in 1861. In 1857 he delivered an address upon charities 
and charitable associations. The address was first given in Boston, then 
repeated in different places fifteen times, thus raising $13,500 for charitable 
purposes. In 1859 his address in Boston upon the “Early Days of Franklin” 
yielded about $4,000 for charitable purposes. In 1858 he pronounced the 
euology on Thomas Dowse, before the Dowse institute, at Cambridge, Mas¬ 
sachusetts. At the consecration of the National Cemetery, at Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania, November 19,1863, he delivered the address. When Savannah 


8 



I6rt 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


was taken by General Sherman, Everett addressed a large meeting in Boston 
to raise funds for the Southern poor in Savannah. He caught cold at the 
meeting, which was followed by sudden illness and death. He was the 
subject of eulogies in public meetings throughout the entire country. 

Everett wrote “The Dirge of Alaric,” “The Visgoth,” “Santa Croce,” 
and other poems, besides a life of “General Stark” for “Spark’s American 
Biography.” His “Orations and Speeches on Various Occasions fill four 
Volumes, published in 1869. He also superintended the publication of the 
works of Daniel Webster, at his special request. A statue of Everett has 
been placed in the Boston public library, and one in the public gardens. 

In Everett’s life and career was a combination of the results of 
diligent training, unflinching industry, delicate literary tastes and unequaled 
acquaintance with modern politics. This combination made him in America 
an entirely exceptional person. He was never loved by the political managers; 
he was always enthusiastically received by the assemblies of the people. He 
would have said himself that the most eager wish of his life had been for the 
higher education of his countrymen. A work on public law, on which he 
was engaged at his death, was never finished. 


BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 


Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, in the colony of Massachusetts, 
January 17, 1706; and, full of honors as of years, he died in Philadelphia, 
April 17, 1790, at the age of eighty-five. 

His father was born in Northamptonshire, England, where the family 
line can be traced back about four centuries. In 1682 the father, together 
with his wife and three children, moved to America. 

At the age of eight he was sent to school, but after two years of school life, 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD 


lftl 


he was called home to assist his father in the business of a tallow-chandler 
and soap-boiler. This employment the boy followed for two years, when he 
was apprenticed to his elder brother James, who, in 1720-’21, established 
“The New England Courant,” the second paper that was published in 
America. Benjamin made himself proficient in the printer’s art, but his 
tastes inclined him toward intellectual rather than mechanical work, hence 
he surrounded himself with excellent books. He became familiar with the 
“Pilgrim’s Progress,” “Locke on the Understanding,” and odd numbers of 
the “Spectator,” then with a large number of the literary novels of the day. 
In 1723 he sold a few of his books and started in search of employment. 
He reached Philadelphia, four hundred miles from home, without money and 
without friends, at the age of seventeen. A printer by the name of Keimer 
gave him employment. Keimer was not well acquainted with his trade, 
hence Franklin, being a rapid composer and a person of careful thought and 
ingenuity, came to be the most important person in the office. Sir William 
Keith, the governor of the province, assured Franklin that he would assist 
him to start in business for himself. Accordingly it was arranged for the 
young printer to go to England and purchase an outfit for an office. Hav¬ 
ing reached London, he found that Keith had broken his pledge and left him 
to depend upon finding employment to secure his daily bread. In July, 
1726, he again set sail for Philadelphia. While in London, he had been 
engaged in setting type for an edition of Wollaston’s “Religion of Nature;” 
and this woik led him to print a pamphlet, entitled “A Dissertation on 
Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain.” Forming the acquaintance of 
Mr. Meredith, a person of some means, Franklin accepted a proposition to 
direct the business if Meredith would furnish the means for the purchase of 
a printing office. The money was furnished, the outfit purchased, and 
Franklin, for the first time in his life, was in business for himself. About 
the same time, September, 1729, he purchased, for a small price, the 
“Pennsylvania Gazette.” Some spirited remarks on a controversy then 
waging between the Massachusetts assembly and Governor Burnett attracted 
considerable attention, and at once assured the success of the young journalist. 
Foi the next seventeen years he stood at the head of American journalism. 




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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Franklin’s work as a public benefactor and as a literary man com¬ 
menced in 1731, when he established the first circulating library on this 
continent. In 1732 he began “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” a work that con¬ 
tinued for twenty-five years, and attained a marvelous popularity. He also 
became familiar with the French, Italian, Spanish and Latin languages. In 
1736 he was chosen clerk of the general assembly, and the succeeding year, 
Colonel Spotswood, then Postmaster General, appointed Franklin deputy 
postmaster at Philadelphia. He was also elected a member of the geneial 
assembly, and re-elected for ten successive years. About 1737 he organized 
the first police force and fire companies in the colonies. Shortly after this, 
he set in operation movements which resulted in the founding of the Univer¬ 
sity of Pennsylvania, the American Philosophical Society, in the organiza¬ 
tion of the state militia force, in paving the streets, and in founding a 
hospital. The records show that Franklin was the moving spirit in every¬ 
thing done for the benefit of the city in which he lived. 

While thus engaged he made his discoveries in electricity that placed 
him in the front rank as one of the most eminent of natural philosophers. 
The experiment was made as follows: a kite was constructed from a silk 
handkerchief and sent up into the air just before a thunderstorm. To the 
hempen string he fastened a key. At length the flashes of lightning came, 
the cord seemed agitated, and the key emitted sparks that gave quite an 
electrical shock. Thus the discovery was made that lightning and electricity 
are identical. A friend of Franklin presented the report to the “Gentleman’s 
Magazine,” where it was published. A copy fell into the hands of Buffon, 
who had the article translated into French. There, as in England, it became 
popular. The “Philadelphia Experiments” were performed in the presence 
of the royal family of Paris, and became the sensation of the period. The 
Royal Society of London elected Franklin a member of the Society, and for 
the rest of his life sent him a copy of the “ Transactions.” This important 
discovery carried Franklin’s name and fame into every enlightened com¬ 
munity on the face of the whole earth. 

In 1754 he was sent to a congress of commissioners from different col¬ 
onies, ordered by the Lords of Trade to convene at Albany, to confer with 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD 


163 


the chief of the Six Nations for their common defense. Franklin reported a 
plan for colonial organization that would save England the necessity of 
sending troops to assist the colonies in their defense. The plan provided 
that the crown should appoint a presiding general, and that the colonies 
should elect representatives. Thus organized into a government, the colonies 
could defend themselves and save England all expense. Fearing that such 
a union would reveal to the colonies their strength, the Lords of Trade took 
advantage of Franklin’s casual absence from the hall to reject his plan. In 
place of permitting the colonies to unite and defend themselves, England 
sent General Braddock over with two regiments of regulars, with instructions 
to the colonists to maintain them. The assembly sent Franklin to carry a 
petition to the king. “ He arrived in London on the 27th of July, 1757, not 
this time as a poor printer’s boy, but as a messenger to the most powerful 
sovereign in the world from a corporate body of some of his most loyal 
subjects.” 

Lord Grenville was then president of the council, and Franklin, in an 
interview with that gentleman, learned the opinions of the British Govern¬ 
ment in regard to the rights and the government of the colonies. Franklin 
frankly told his lordship that this was new doctrine, and admits that he was 
alarmed by this conversation, but he was not as much alarmed as he had 
reason to be,.for it distinctly raised the issue between the king and a faction 
of his people which was to require a seven years’ war to decide. Franklin 
next sought an interview with the brothers Penn, to lay before them the 
grievances of the assembly. Finding them entirely inaccessible to his rea¬ 
sonings, he supplied the material for an historical review of the controversy 
between the assembly and the proprietaries, which made an octavo volume 
of 500 pages. After considerable discussion, the subject of the right of the 
colonists to tax all estates was settled. Franklin made a report to the effect 
that the tax be levied. King George II signed the report but a few weeks 
before his death. Thus he was successful in his first foreign mission. 

In the five years that he remained in England, Franklin formed some 
valuable acquaintances, among whom may be named Hume, Bobertson, 



164 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Adam Smith and young Edmund Burke. He also wrote numerous powerful 
pamphlets and articles. 

Upon the death of George II in 1760, and his grandson’s accession to 
the throne, there was a general clamor for peace, but Franklin was in favor 
of a vigorous prosecution of the war. He wrote a.pamphlet entitled “On 
the Means of Disposing the Enemy to Peace. ” Upon the capture of Quebec, 
he prepared another paper, “The Interests of Great Britain Considered with 
Begard to her Colonies and the Acquisitions of Canada and Gaudeloupe, ” 
which had a strong influence with the ministry. 

In 1762 he returned to America. The peace with the proprietary gov¬ 
ernment was only temporary. Franklin was deprived of his seat in the 
assembly, after he had been chosen for fourteen successive years; but the 
assembly sent him back to England to try to secure a change in the govern¬ 
ment of the colony. He again crossed the Atlantic in 1764, but failed to 
secure the desired result. The war with France had just closed, and the 
British Government was considering the best way of paying the “war debt,” 
which amounted to £73,000,000 sterling. Lord Grenville proposed to the 
American, agents in London that the colonists should pay part of the debt by 
means of a stamp duty. Franklin and the other American agents resident 
in England wrote to their respective colonies, stating the demands of the 
British ministry. The colonists objected to the tax on the ground that they 
were already taxed beyond their strength, that they were surrounded by the 
Indians, making it necessary to be at constant expense for defense, and 
lastly that the tax was an indignity because levied by a parliament in which 
they were not represented. While such was the feeling, the colonists passed 
resolutions to the effect that if the king would let them know the amount 
needed they would do their best to raise it for him. The British government 
objected to the colonists having anything to say about the method of raising 
the money; hence the “Stamp Act” was presented to the Commons and 
promptly passed with only fifty dissenting votes, and to the Lords, where it 
received every vote. 

The offensive Act was received with a storm of indignation. Parlia¬ 
ment again called up the American affairs, whereupon Edmund Burke made 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


165 


his famous speech for the repeal of the “Stamp Act.” Franklin was exam¬ 
ined most carefully, and the historian tells us that he was the only witness 
who lifted a voice that could be heard by posterity. Burke declared that the 
scene reminded him of a master examined by a parcel of school boys. The 
celebrated field preacher, George Whitefield, wrote: “Our trusty friend, Dr. 
Franklin, has gained immortal honor by his behavior at the bar of the House. 
The answer was always found equal to the questioner. He stood unappalled* 
gave pleasure to his friends and did honor to his country.” The “Stamp Act ’ 
was repealed by a majority of 108 almost immediately upon the conclusion 
of Franklin’s examination. 

Franklin remained in London from 1764 till 1775, trying to settle the 
matter in some way, but all his efforts were in vain. He took the position 
that the House of Commons and Lords had nothing whatever to do with the 
colonies, but that the king and the colonial assemblies constituted the sole 
law-making authority over them. Then, according to good English author¬ 
ity, the solemn petitions of the colonists to the throne were treated with 
neglect or derision, and their agents with contumely, and Franklin was openly 
insulted in the House of Lords, was deprived of his office of deputy post 
master, and was scarcely safe from personal outrage. Satisfied that his use¬ 
fulness in England was at an end, he placed his agency in the hands of 
Arthur Lee, an American lawyer practicing at the London bar, and, on the 
21st of March, 1775, started for Philadelphia. 

Upon reaching home, he found the smoke of battle had scarcely rolled 
away from Concord and Lexington, and the colonists were in open rebellion. 
From a peace-maker he became a war-maker. On the morning that he 
landed at home, the assembly of Pennsylvania elected him a member of the 
Continental Congress then sitting at Philadelphia. This Congress united the 
armies of the colonies, and appointed George Washington commander, issued 
the first continental currency, and resisted the imperial government. Frank¬ 
lin served on not less than ten committees. A postal system was organized, 
and Franklin was made first Postmaster General. He also planned an appeal 
to the King of France for aid, and wrote the instructions of Silas Dean, who 
was to present the appeal. He was one of three commissioners sent to Can- 




166 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


ada to get the Canadians to join the colonial union. Franklin was next 
elected a member of the conference which met in June 18,1776, and renounced 
all allegiance to King George, and called a convention to form a constitu¬ 
tional government for the United Colonies. He was one of the committee of 
five to draft the “Declaration of Independence.” Hancock made the remark 
when about to sign the document: “We must be unanimous; there must be 
no pulling different ways; we must hang together.” “Yes,” replied Frank¬ 
lin, “we must hang together, or we will be pretty sure to hang separately.” 
He was made president of the Pennsylvania constitutional convention in 
1776, and in the same year was selected by Congress to treat with Admiral 
Lord Howe concerning terms of peace, and unanimously chosen to be one of 
three to repair to the court of Louis XYI to secure his aid. 

“At the time of Franklin’s arrival in Paris, he was already one of the 
most talked about men in the world. He was a member of every important 
learned society in Europe; he was a member and one of the managers of the 
Eoyal Society, and one of eight foreign members of the Royal Academy 
of Science in Paris. Three editions of his scientific works had already 
appeared in Paris, and a new edition, much enlarged, had recently appeared 
in London. To all these advantages he added a political purpose—the dis¬ 
memberment of the British empire—which was entirely congenial to every 
citizen of France.” 

Franklin secured a treaty with France by which that government intro¬ 
duced the United Colonies into the family of independent nations. He also 
secured help in money at different times, in all amounting to 26,000,000 
francs. His career has scarcely a parallel in the literature of diplomacy. 
Finally, in 1783, he was one of the commissioners to sign the treaty of peace 
between England and America. Before this, Congress had refused to accept 
his resignation as minister to France, but on the close of the war his request 
was granted. 

After numerous attentions from prominent Frenchmen, Franklin set 
sail for home. On September 13, 1785, he disembarked again at the very 
wharf where sixty-two years before he had landed a houseless, homeless, 
friendless and penniless runaway apprentice of seventeen. Note the change. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


167 


This time he was received with every mark of distinction. The assembly of 
Pennsylvania voted him a congratulatory address, public bodies waited upon 
him, Washington congratulated him by letter upon his safe arrival and emi¬ 
nent services rendered his country. Within a month he was elected member 
and chairman of the municipal council of Philadelphia, and in a short time 
was elected president of Pennsylvania with but one dissenting vote. He said 
in a letter to a friend, “ I have not firmness enough to resist the unanimous 
desire of my country folks, and I find myself harnessed again to their ser¬ 
vice another year. They engrossed the prime of my life. They have eaten 
my flesh and seem resolved now to pick my bones. ” He was unanimously 
re-elected in 1786 and 1787. In the latter year he was chosen a member of 
the convention that met to frame a constitution for the United States. 

Shortly after his first return from England he married Miss Eead, by 
whom he had two children, a boy and a girl. The boy died young, but the 
daughter married Eichard Bache, of Yorkshire, England. The descendants 
of this union are the only persons left who inherit any of the blood of Frank¬ 
lin. He left a property valued at about $150,000. 

“ Though rendering to his country as a diplomatist and statesman, and 
to the world as a philosopher, incalculable services, he never sought nor re¬ 
ceived from either of these sources any pecuniary advantage. Wherever he 
lived he was the inevitable center of a system of influences always important 
and constantly enlarging; and dying, he perpetuated it by an autobiography 
which to this day not only remains one of the most widely read and readable 
books in our language, but has had the distinction of enriching the literature 
of nearly every other. No man has ever lived whose life has been more 
universally studied by his countrymen, or is more familiar to them.” 



168 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


GIBBON. 


Edwakd Gibbon was born at Putney, England, April 27, 1737, and 
died in London, January lb, 1794. The date of birth is given in “Old 
Style.” 

Gibbon was descended, he tells us, from a Kentish family of considerable 
antiquity; among his remote ancestry he reckons the Lord High Treasurer 
Finnes, Lord Say and Seal, whom Shakespeare has immortalized in his 
“Henry VI.” His father was educated at Westminster and Cambridge, but 
never took a degree, traveled, became member of parliament. His mother 
was the daughter of a London merchant, and Edward was the eldest of a 
family of six sons and a daughter. He was the only one of the children 
who survived childhood; his own life in youth hung by a mere thread. 
His mother did but little for him. A maiden aunt had the main care of 
young Edward. 

Under the kind care of this aunt his education was commenced. As 
circumstances allowed, she appears to have taught him reading, writing and 
arithmetic—acquisitions made with so little of remembered pain that “were 
not the error corrected by analogy,” he says, “I should be tempted to con¬ 
ceive them as innate.” At seven, he was committed for eighteen months 
to the care of a private tutor, from whom he learned the rudiments of English 
and Latin grammar. 

In his ninth year, he was sent to school at Kingston-upon-Thames, but 
poor health prevented his rapid advancement. He declares that he purchased 
his knowledge of Latin syntax at the expense of many tears and much 
suffering. Upon his mother’s death, in 1747, he was taken home, but lived 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


169 


chiefly under the care of his devoted aunt, and became passionately fond of 
reading. 

In 1749, in his twelfth year he was sent to Westminster, still residing, 
however, with his aunt, who, rendered destitute by her father’s bankruptcy, 
but unwilling to live a life of dependence, had opened a boarding-house for 
Westminster school. Here in the course of two years, 1749-’50, interrupted 
by danger and debility, he “painfully climbed into the third formbut it 
was left to his riper age to “acquire the beauties of the Latin and the rudi¬ 
ments of the Greek tongue.” The continual attacks of sickness which had 
retarded his progress induced his aunt, by medical advice, to take him to 
Bath; but the mineral waters had no effect. He then resided for a time in 
the house of a physician at Winchester; the physician did as little as the 
mineral water; and, after a further trial of Bath, he once more returned to 
Putney and made a last futilo attempt to study at Westminster. Finally it 
was concluded that he would never be able to encounter the discipline of a 
school, and casual instructors at various times and places were provided 
for him. 

But his habit of reading proved of good service to him. He seemed 
delighted to get historical works. Echard’s “History of Rome,” and Ackley’s 
book on the Saracens first charmed him and opened his eyes. He 
exhausted all that he could find in English upon the topics that interested 
him. Health returned when he was about sixteen; accordingly in 1752, he 
was again placed at his studies under the care of Dr. Francis, translator of 
Horace. Before the close of the year, however, he was sent to Oxford, where 
he was matriculated as a gentleman commoner of Magdalen College. His 
habits of reading had worked to the detriment of his systematic school 
studies, hence he was not a favorite at Oxford. His work at the college was 
soon relinquished. In the meantime he had resolved to write a book. The 
father, not yet contented with the son’s accomplishments, and partly to 
overcome a class of religious influences that had been thrown around him, 
placed Edward under the instructions of M. Pavilliard, a Calvinist minister 
at Lausane. In as far as regards the instructor and guide thus selected, a 
more fortunate choice could scarcely have been made. From the testimony 



no 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


of his pupil, and the still more conclusive evidence of his own correspondence 
with the father, Pavilliard seems to have been a man of singular good sense, 
temper and tact. At the outset, indeed, there was one considerable obstacle 
to the free intercourse of tutor and pupil. M. Pavilliard appears to have 
known little of English, and young Gibbon knew practically nothing of 
French. But this difficulty was soon removed by the pupil’s diligence; the 
very exigencies of his situation were of service to him in calling forth his 
powers, and he studied the language with such success that at the close of 
his five years’ exile he declares that he “spontaneously thought” in French 
rather than in English, and that it had become more familiar to his ear, 
tongue and pen. 

His new teacher marked out a systematic course of study, and Gibbon 
improved very rapidly. In 1758 he returned to England, and for a time 
remained at home. His father’s library was used to good advantage in 
gathering material. He also used a large part of his quarterly allowance to 
secure such books as seemed suited to his life work. 

In 1761 he published his first work, entitled “Essai sur P Etude *de la 
Literature*” Though criticised by some, and most of all by himself in later 
years, yet the essay was well received. But before its publication, Gibbon 
in May, 1750, became captain in the Hampshire militia, and for two years 
led a military life. He complains of “busy idleness” in the time spent in 
military service. 

When the militia was disbanded in 1762 Gibbon went to Paris, and 
in 1764 entered upon his Italian tour. He thus describes his visit to Rome: 
“My temper is not very susceptible of enthusiasm, and the enthusiasm which 
I do not feel I have ever scorned to affect. But, at the distance of twenty 
five years, I can neither forget nor express the stormy emotions which agitated 
my mind as I first approached and entered the Eternal City. After a 
sleepless night, I trod with a lofty step the ruins of the forum; each memor¬ 
able spot where Romulus stood, or Tully spoke, or Caesar fell, was at once 
present to my eye; and several days of intoxication were lost or enjoyed 
before I could descend to a cool and minute investigation.” Here at last his 
long yearning for some great theme worthy of his historic genius was grati- 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


m 


fied. The first conception of the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” 
arose as he lingered one evening amid the vestiges of ancient glory. “It 
was at Rome, on the 15th of October, 1764, as I sat down musing amidst the 
ruins of the capital, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the 
temple of Jupiter, that the idea of writing the decline and f ill of the city first 
started to my mind.” 

Returning from this tour in 1765, he remained at home till his father’s 
death in 1770. This period seems to have been the most unhappy portion 
of his life. At the age of thirty he still found himself a dependent. He 
expressed regrets that he had not “embraced the lucrative pursuits of law or 
of trade, the chances of civil office or Indian adventure, or even the fat slum¬ 
bers of the church.” But the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” 
continued to haunt his mind. In 1767 he executed a book in French upon 
the revolutions of Switzerland; but it was condemned, and never got beyond 
the rehearsal of a literary society of foreigners in London. In the same year, 
in company with a friend, he started a literary journal, but the enterprise 
failed. In a work entitled “Critical Observations,” published in 1770, he 
made his first deep impression. A critic declares it the first distinct print 
of the lion’s foot. It appeared in a style, and with a profusion of learning 
which called forth the warmest commendations both at home and abroad. 

In 1768 he commenced in earnest upon his great historical work. He 
exhausted all the references he could find upon the subject. Finally in Feb¬ 
ruary, 1776, the first volume of the “Decline and Fall” appeared in print. 
The success was instant, and, for a quarto, probably unprecedented. The 
entire impression was exhausted in a few days; a second and third editions 
were scarcely adequate to the demand. In addition to public applause he 
was gratified by the more select praises of the highest living authorities in 
that branch of literature: “the candor of Dr. Robertson embraced his dis¬ 
ciple;” Hume’s letter of congratulation “overpaid the labor of. ten years.” 
The latter, however, with his usual sagacity, anticipated the objections which 
he saw could be urged against the famous fifteenth and sixteenth chapters. 
“I think you have observed a very prudent temperament; but it was impos- 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


sible to treat the subject so as not to give grounds of suspicion against you, 
and you may expect that a clamor will arise.” 

The “clamor” thus predicted was not slow to make itself heard. 
Within two years the famous chapters had elicited what might almost be 
called a library of controversy. The only attack, however, to which Gibbon 
deigned to make any reply was that of Davies, who had impugned his 
accuracy or good faith. His “Vindication” appeared in February, 1779; 
and, as Milman remarks, “this single discharge from the ponderous artillery 
of learning and sarcasm laid prostrate the whole disorderly squadron” of his 
rash and feeble assailants. 

In 1781 the second and third quartos of his “History” was published. 
They were received quietly, but bought and read with considerable interest. 
Before the appearance of these two volumes he had been elected to parlia¬ 
ment in 1774. In 1779 he performed an important work on behalf of the 
ministry. The French government had issued a manifesto preparatory to a 
declaration of war, and Gibbon was solicited by Chancellor Thurlow and 
Lord Weymouth, Secretary of State, to answer it. In compliance with this 
request, he produced the able “Memoire Justificatif,” composed in French, 
and delivered to the courts of Europe; and shortly afterward he received a 
seat at the Board of Trade and Plantations—little more than a sinecure in 
itself, but with a very substantial salary of nearly £800 per annum. 

Gibbon was thirty-eight when he entered parliament. His political 
career was not satisfactory to himself or his constituency, and he was not 
returned at the next election. That he might enjoy quiet and devote his life 
to literature, he sold all his effects but his library and removed to Lausanne, 
in September, 1783. Again taking up his literary work, the fourth volume, 
partly written in 1782, was completed in June, 1784. The preparation of 
the fifth volume occupied less than two years; while the sixth and last 
begun May 18, 1786, was finished in thirteen months. The feelings with 
which he brought his labors to a close must be described in his own inimit¬ 
able words: “It was on the day, or night, rather, of the 27th of June, 1787, 
between the hours of eleven and twelve, that I wrote the last lines of the last 
page in a summer house in my garden. After laying down my pen I took 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


173 


several turns in a berceau, or covered walk of acacias, which commands a 
prospect of the country, the lake, and the mountains. The air was temper¬ 
ate, the sky was serene, the silver of the moon was reflected from the waters 
and all nature was silent. I will not dissemble the first emotions of joy on 
the recovery of my freedom, and, perhaps, the establishment of my fame. 
But my pride was soon humbled, and a sober melancholy was spread over 
my mind by the idea that I had taken an everlasting leave of an old and 
agreeable companion, and that whatsoever might be the future fate of my 
‘History,’ the life of the historian must be short and precarious.” Taking 
the manuscript with him, Gibbon, after an absence of four years, once more 
visited London; and the fifty-first anniversary of the author’s birthday, 
April 27, 1788, witnessed the publication of the last three volumes of “ The 
Decline and Fall.” They met with quick and easy sale, and were greatly 
praised. 

Keturning again to Switzerland, he entered upon the writing of his 
“Autobiography” in 1789, from which we gain our knowledge of his personal 
history. In 1793 he was called to England by the death of Lady Sheffield, 
and he never returned to his adopted home. Sickness seized him and he 
died in 1794. 

M. Guizot, the distinguished philosopher and statesman, has translated 
Gibbon’s works into French. He reviews the great “ History” carefully, 
criticising its errors and praising its excellencies, then concludes as follows: 
“ I then felt that this book, in spite of its faults, will always be a noble 
work; and that we may correct its errors and combat its prejudices without 
ceasing to admit that few men have combined, if we are not to say in so 
high a degree, at least in a manner so complete and so well regulated, the 
necessary qualifications for a writer of history.” 




174 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


GOETHE. 


Johann Wolfgang Yon Goethe was born August 28, 1749, in Frank¬ 
fort, and on the 22d day of March, 1832, while sitting in his arm-chair, he 
went so peacefully to sleep that it was long before the watchers knew that 
his spirit was really gone. He was buried near his friend Schiller, in the 
grand-ducal vault. 

His parents lived in Frankfort, a free town of the German empire, 
where they were considered among the valuable families. The house in 
which Goethe was born is still pointed out to the traveler, in the Hirschgraben. 
His education was irregular, as he went to no regular school. His father’s 
social standing encouraged the boy to select the profession of an advocate, 
and to desire to pass the regular course of civil offices in his native town. 
The elder Goethe, being fond of art and of the German poetry then in fashion, 
gave his boy the advantages of a cultivated home, and stimulated him to 
improvement. At that time French influences gave direction to the literary 
tone of Europe, and young Goethe was greatly influenced by it. In 1765, at 
the age of sixteen, he went to Leipsic where he was admitted to the univer¬ 
sity as a student of law. He studied for three years, but the charms of liter¬ 
ature drew him away from legal studies. While in school he attended Gel- 
lert’s lectures on literature. This distinguished man advised Goethe to 
abandon poetry for prose, and to make authorship an employment subordi¬ 
nate to the serious occupations of life. He also attended the lectures of Clo- 
dius, another literary professor. This young teacher corrected Goethe’s 
writing and showed him how to mend his faults. In 1766 Goethe wrote a 
poem of congratulation on the marriage of his uncle. Following the fashion 
of the day, this poem was full of gods and goddesses and mythological appa- 













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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


177 


ratus. Clodius criticised the production very severely, whereupon Goethe 
satirized the young teacher in a poem in praise of the confectioner Handel, 
and by a parodj r of his drama “Medon.” His conduct toward his teacher 
placed him in bad standing at the university. But his associates were his 
real school, for they gave direction to his talents. J. G. Schlosser, private 
secretary to the duke of Wurtemberg, and who afterward married Goethe’s 
sister, had great influence in introducing him into a wider circle of German, 
French, English, and Italian poetry. Behrisch, tutor of the young Count 
Lindenau, became Goethe’s friend, and his friendly criticisms had a strong 
effect in producing the simplicity and naturalness of the poet’s style. 

While at Leipsic he wrote a drama, “ Die Laune des Yerleibten, or 
Lovers’ Quarrels,” and “Die Mitschuldigen, or The Fellow Sinners.” The 
plays possessed ordinary merit. 

In 1770 he went to Strasburg, where he attended lectures upon anat¬ 
omy and chemistry. 

Taking his degree as doctor of laws, Goethe returned to Frankfort. 
He was disgusted with the idea of practicing law. Finally he determined 
his career in life by adopting literature as a profession. Frankfort was not 
a literary town, hence Goethe removed to the neighboring town of Darm¬ 
stadt, where there was a literary circle. These months were full of literary 
activity. To them belong an oration on Shakespeare, delivered at Frank¬ 
fort, an essay on Erwin Yon Steinbach, the builder of the Strasburg cathe¬ 
dral, two theological treatises of a neologistical character on the command¬ 
ments of Moses, and the miraculous tongues of Pentecost, and a number of 
reviews written for the “ Frankfurter Gelehrte Anzeiger,” which had been 
founded by Merck. But the work into which he threw all his genius, was 
the dramatization of the history of the imperial knight of the Middle Ages, 
Gottfried or Gotz von Berlichingen. The immediate cause of this enterprise 
was his enthusiasm for Shakespeare. After reading him he felt, he said, 
like a blind man who suddenly receives his sight. The study of a dull and 
dry biography of Gotz, published in 1731, supplied the subject for his awak¬ 
ened powers. From this miserable sketch he conceived within his mind a 
complete picture of Germany in the 16th century. The chief characters of 




178 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


his play are creatures of his imagination, representing the principal types 
which made up the history of the time. Every personage is made to live : 
they speak in short, sharp sentences like the powerful lines of a great mas¬ 
ter’s drawing. The first sketch of “ Gotz ” was finished in six weeks, in the 
autumn of 1771. Cornelia was consulted at every stage in the work. Her¬ 
der saw it, and gave his approval. On his return from Wetzlar in 1773, 
Goethe wrote the piece over again, and published it, with the help of Merck, in 
the form in which we now possess it. It ran like wildfire through the whole of 
Germany. It was the progenitor, not only of the “ Sturm und Drang ’’period 
to which it gave the tone, but of the romantic knightly literature which 
teemed from the German press. 

His “Werther” was printed about 1774, and was immediately- trans¬ 
lated into every language in Europe. The work was suggested by the follow¬ 
ing circumstances: A young man belonging to the Brunswick legation, w T as 
with Goethe at the university. Being of a moody temperament, having failed 
in his profession, and being soured by a hopeless passion for the wife of 
another, young Jerusalem borrowed a pair of pistols from Kestner under pre¬ 
tense of a journey, and shot himself on the night of October 29th. As “Wer¬ 
ther,” interweaving, as it did, the above circumstances, spread over Germany 
and made the round of the world, penetrating even to China, the “ fever wrung 
the hearts of men and women with imaginary sorrows; floods of tears were 
shed; young men dressed in blue coats and yellow breeches shot themselves 
with ‘Werther’ in their hands.” 

“Werther” represents the languid sentimentalism, the passionate 
despair, which possessed an age vexed by evils which nothing but the knife 
could cure, and tortured by the presence of a high ideal which revealed to it at 
once the depth of its misery and the hopelessness of a better lot. “Gotz” was 
the first manly appeal to the chivalry of German spirit, which, caught up 
by other voices, sounded throughout the fatherland like the call of a warder’s 
trumpet, till it produced a national courage founded on the recollection of an 
illustrious past, which overthrew the might of the conqueror at the moment 
when he seemed about to dominate the world. “ Werther ” is the echo of 
Bousseau, the lamentation of a suffering world; “Gotz,” in its short, sharp dia- 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


179 


logue, recalls the pregnant terseness of mediaeval German before it was spoiled 
by the imitators of Ciceronian Latinity. “ Werther, ” as soft and melodious 
as Plato, was the first revelation to the world of that marvelous style which, 
m the hands of a master, compels a language which is as rich as Greek to be 
also as musical.” 

He translated Goldsmith’s “Deserted Village,” and wrote numerous 
satires and small poems, while engaged upon his great works. His satires 
were chiefly aimed at the prevailing follies of the day. “Gods,” “Heroes,” 
and “Wieland,” are the most important of these writings. At the same 
time, in 1773, he was actively engaged as an advocate. In 1774 “Memoires” 
or “Pleadings” were published, and the play of “Clavigo” arranged. 

“Attracted to Weimar in the strength and beauty of his youth, Goethe 
rose upon the society like a star. From the moment of his arrival he became 
the inseparable and indispensable companion of the grand duke.” Here he 
was finally ennobled by the emperor and he took for his arms a silver star 
set in an azure field. For the purpose of enriching his works he took long 
journeys to places laden with historic associations. He studied science and 
art and literature wherever he went, and the fruits of his researches appear 
in his writings. Finally, meeting Schiller, an eternal friendship sprang up 
between them that was mutually beneficial. Each exerted a great influence 
over the other. The first effect of Schiller’s influence was the completion 
of “ Wilhelm Meister’s Lehrjahre, ” which ranks among Goethe’s best writings. 

Schiller and Goethe have been inseparable in the minds of their 
countrymen and have reigned as twin stars in the literary firmament. If 
Schiller does not hold the first place it is at least true that he is more 
beloved, although Goethe may be more admired. It would be invidious to 
separate them. But it is evident that the best fruits of Schiller’s muse 
were produced when he was most closely under Goethe’s influence, and the 
foreign student of German culture has ground for believing that at some 
future time the glory of the lesser luminary will be absorbed in that of the 
greater, and the name of Goethe will represent alone and unrivaled the 
literature of his age and country. In 1808 an edition of Goethe’s works in 
thirteen volumes was published. “Faust” is considered the best of all his 





180 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


works. A long list of ballads, lyrics, letters, dramas, stories and criticisms, 
came from his pen in almost endless variety and in masterly style and 
thought. For the last twelve years of his life he was the literary dictator 
of Germany and Europe. He took but little interest in the direction in 
which the younger German school was moving, and was driven to turn his 
eyes abroad. He conceived an intense admiration for Byron, which was 
increased by his early death. Byron appears as^ Euphorion in the second 
part of “Faust.” He also recognized the greatness of Scott, and was one of 
the first to send a greeting to the Italian Mazzini. He conceived the idea of 
a world literature, transcending the narrow limits of race and country, which 
should unite all nations in harmony of feeling and aspiration. German 
writers claim that his design has been realized, and the literature of every 
age and country can be studied in a tongue which Goethe had made rich, 
flexible and serviceable for the purpose. The “Wanderjahre,” although it 
contains some of Goethe’s most beautiful conceptions, “The Flight into Egypt, ” 
“The Description of the Pedagogic Province, ” “The Parable of the Three Rever¬ 
ences,” is yet an ill-assorted collection of all kinds of writings, old and new. 
Its author never succeeded in giving it form or coherency, and his later style, 
beautiful as it is, becomes in these years vague and abstract. Still, without 
this work, we should not be acquainted with the full richness and power of 
his mind. 

Goethe differs from all other great writers, except perhaps Milton, in 
this respect, that his works cannot be understood without a knowledge of 
his life, and that his life is in itself a work of art, greater than any work 
which it created. This renders a long and circumstantial biography a 
necessity to all who would study the poet seriously. At the same time he is 
so great that we are even now scarcely sufficiently removed from him to be 
able to form a correct judgment of his place in literary history. He is not 
only the greatest poet of Germany, he is one of the greatest poets of all ages. 
Posterity must decide his exact precedence in that small and chosen company 
which contains the names of Homer, Dante and Shakespeare. He was the 
apostle of self-culture. Always striving after objective truth and sometimes 
attaining it, he exhibited to the world every phase of his plastic mind in 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


18) 


turn, and taught both by precept and example the husbandry of the soul. 
The charge of selfishness so'often brought against him can not be maintained. 
His nature responded to every influence of passing emotion. Like a delicate 
harp, it was silent if not touched, and yet gave its music to every wooing of 
the willful wind. The charge of unsympathetic coldness roused the deep 
indignation of those who knew him best. He learned by sad experience that 
the lesson of life is to renounce. Rather than cavil at his statuesque repose, 
we should learn to admire the self-conflict and self-command which moulded 
the exuberance of his impulsive nature into monumental symmetry 
and proportion. His autobiography has done him wrong. It is the story 
not of his life, but of his recollections. He needs no defense, nothing but 
sympathetic study. As Homer concentrated in himself the spirit of antiq¬ 
uity, Dante of the middle ages, and Shakespeare of the renaissance, so 
Goethe is the representative of the modern spirit, the prophet of mankind 
under new circumstances and new conditions, the appointed teacher of ages 
yet unborn. 


OLIVER GOLDSMITH. 


Oliver Goldsmith was born at Pallas, Longford County, Ireland, 
November 10, 1728, and he died April 4, 1774. 

His father, the Rev. Charles Goldsmith, belonged to a Protestant and 
Saxon family, which had long been settled in Ireland. The father was very 
poor, and as his profession would not support him, he was obliged to rent 
and till a small farm which, added to his professional labors, furnished a liv¬ 
ing for his family. Later, however, the father received a living worth £200 
per year, in the county of West Meath. The cottage in the wilderness was 
soon exchanged for a good dwelling-house on a public road, near the village 
of Lissoy. This better fortune enabled the father to educate his children. 





18fc 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Oliver, the fourth of seven children, was taught his letters by a maid¬ 
servant. In his seventh year he was sent to the village school taught by 
Byrne, an old soldier, who had been quarter master in the wars of Queen 
Anne. This old soldier on half-pay professed to teach nothing but reading, 
writing and arithmetic, but he had a fund of stories and adventures which 
he delighted to relate to his pupils. The youthful minds were regaled with 
stories about ghosts and fairies, about the great Rapparee chiefs, Baldearg 
O’Donnell and galloping Hogan, and about the exploits of Peterborough and 
Stanhope, the surprise of Monjuich, and the glorious disaster of Brihuega. 
This man was of the aboriginal race, and could speak Irish, and “ pour forth 
unpremeditated Irish verses.” Oliver thus became passionately fond of 
Irish music, and it may be that his wanderings in after life were the results 
of the stories and adventures related by his teacher. 

In his ninth year Goldsmith was taken from the humble academy kept 
by the old soldier. In the grammar schools which he afterward attended he 
gained some knowledge of the ancient languages. Oliver’s life in those 
schools was made miserable by the ridicule which he received from his fellow 
students. His features were harsh and ugly, and “the small-pox had set its 
mark on him with more than usual severity.” This, added to his small 
stature, awkward limbs, and disposition to blunder, made him the common 
butt of boys and master. “ He was pointed at as a fright in the playground 
and flogged as a dunce in the school-room.” We might add here, by way of 
remark, that when Oliver Goldsmith’s name was seen attached to the “Vicar 
of Wakefield” and the “ Deserted Village,” those who had once derided him 
ransacked their memories for the events of his early years, and took great 
pride in the fact that they had been associated with him in school. 

In his seventeenth year Oliver went to Trinity College, Dublin, as a 
sizar. The sizars paid nothing for board and tuition, and the lodging cost 
but little. All of Oliver’s necessary expenses were paid by his uncle. The 
poet was lodged in a room in a garret, and his name scrawled on the window, 
by himself, is still read with interest. Goldsmith did not seem to appreciate 
his opportunities. He suffered all the humiliations, but threw away all the 
advantages of his situation. In this, as in former schools, “ he neglected 




OLIVER GOLDSMITH 











IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


185 


the studies, stood low at the examinations, was turned down to the bottom of 
his class for playing the buffoon in the lecture room, was severely repri¬ 
manded for pumping on a constable, and was caned by a brutal tutor for 
giving a ball in the attic story of the college to some gay youths and damsels 
from the city. The tutor’s cruelty finally caused Goldsmith to leave college. 
He wandered about Dublin, leading a life of distress and dissipation, till his 
brother Henry gave him clothes and carried him back to college. In the 
meantime his father died, leaving but a mere pittance. On the 27th of 
February, 1749, he obtained his degree of B. A. and left the university. 
The next two years were idled away among relatives. Finally, deeming it 
necessary to do something, Goldsmith tried several professions in turn, with¬ 
out success. He became tutor in a wealthy family, but soon gave up the 
situation on account of a dispute about play. Having failed in everything 
else, he determined to seek for fame in the new world. His relatives gladly 
made up a purse of 4>30, and “with much satisfaction saw him set out for 
Cork on a good horse.” In about six weeks, however, he returned, and 
informed his mother that the ship sailed while he was at a pleasure party. 
Goldsmith next determined to study law, and his relatives promptly gave him 
<£50. This he lost in a gaming house in Dublin. Thinking next of medi¬ 
cine, he received a small purse from his friends and went to Edinburgh, in 
his twenty-fourth year. At Edinburgh, he spent eighteen months, picking 
up some superficial information. Next he appeared at Leyden, “still pre¬ 
tending to study physic.” In his twenty-seventh year Goldsmith left that 
celebrated university without a degree, and with but a small amount of med¬ 
ical knowledge and no property but his clothes and his flute. “ He rambled 
on foot through Flanders, France and Switzerland, playing tunes that every¬ 
where set the peasantry dancing, and which often procured for him supper 
and bed.” He went as far as Italy. In 1756 Goldsmith landed at Dover 
without money, friends or calling. He claimed, however, that the University 
of Padua gave him a doctor’s degree. But we must pass over many more 
trials in his life, to record the last failures before the grandeur of his mind 
shone out through the darkness that enveloped him. He obtained a medical 
appointment in the service of the East India Company, but this was speedily 




186 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


revoked. He next “ presented himself at Surgeon’s Hall for examination as 
mate to a naval hospital,” but was found unqualified for the position. 
“ Nothing remained but for him to return to the lowest drudgery of litera¬ 
ture.” He rented a garret and settled down at the age of thirty to toil like 
a “galley slave.” Perhaps it would be impossible to find a life filled with 
more uncertainties and failures than Goldsmith’s up’ to that time. But from 
the dark clouds flashed a dazzling light that set the whole heavens ablaze. 

He wrote for magazines, newspapers, etc., and published anonymously 
“ An Inquiry into the State of Polite Learning in Europe, ” “ Life of Beau 
Nash,” “History of England,” in a series of letters, “Sketches of London 
Society,” also in a series of letters. As his popularity increased, he com¬ 
menced to widen the circle of his acquaintance. Johnson, the greatest of 
living English writers, Beynolds, the first of English painters, and the elo¬ 
quent Burke, were numbered among Goldsmith’s intimate friends. In 176£ 
he was one of the nine who formed the celebrated Literary Club of England. 
He was enabled to quit his miserable dwelling in a garret, and take more 
comfortable rooms in a civilized region. However, his expensive habits con¬ 
tinued to keep him in poverty. In 1764, being unable to pay his rents, an 
officer was called in. Goldsmith sent for his friend Johnson, who soon 
appeared on the scene. The unfortunate poet produced a manuscript. After 
a brief examination, Johnson pronounced it good, and sold it to a bookseller 
for £60. This amount relieved his wants, but the manuscript was the “ Yicar 
of Wakefield.” Just before this novel was printed Goldsmith reached the 
crisis in his literary life. In the latter part of 1764 he published his famous 
poem, the “ Traveller.” This work was the first to which he had put his own 
name, and it at once placed him in the ranks as a “ legitimate English classic.” 
When the “ Traveller ’’had reached the fourth edition the “Yicar of Wake¬ 
field” appeared in print. This work immediately obtained a popularity that 
has lasted to the present, and must continue so long as the English language 
is spoken. Charles Fox and Dr. Johnson are unreserved in their praise of 
the “ Traveller, ” and his two famous works were referred to most favorably 
by the critics. 

Trying his skill as a dramatist, he produced “ Good-natured Man,” and 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


187 


She Stoops to Conquer,’ two good plays. As a historian, he prepared a 
“History of Borne,” a “History of England,” a “History of Greece,” and a 
“Natural History.” For the first three he received£1,150, and for the last 
800 guineas. These works were designed for use in schools, and were merely 
compilations in abridged forms and presented in his “ own clear, pure and 
flowing language.” He makes some blunders, but the books are valuable for 
their arrangement and style. 

Another celebrated poem, the “ Deserted Village, ” remains to be no¬ 
ticed. In diction and versification, this celebrated poem is fully equal, 
perhaps superior, to the “Traveller.” 

“ In the closing years of his life, Goldsmith’s income was fully £400 
per year, and yet he died in debt, in his forty-sixth year. He was buried in 
the churchyard of the Temple, but, the spot not being marked, is unknown. 
His friends have honored him with a cenotaph in Westminster Abbey, and 
Johnson wrote the inscription. 

“There have been many greater writers; but perhaps no writer was 
ever more uniformly agreeable. His style was always pure and easy, and, 
on proper occasions, pointed and energetic. His narratives were always 
amusing, his descriptions always picturesque, his humor rich and joyous, yet 
not without an occasional tinge of amiable sadness. ” 


THOMAS GRAY. 


Thomas Gray was born in Cornhill, London, December 26, 1717, and 
he died on the 30th day of July, 1771. 

His father, Philip Gray, was an exchange broker, a man of some wealth 
and respectability. The father was brutal, and he treated his family with 
neglect, so that his wife was forced to separate from him. 






188 


t in the Literary world. 


The poet’s mother was an amiable lady, and it was to her affectionate 
care that he was indebted for an education. The mother and her maiden 
sister kept a millinery shop, and prospered by their occupation. Mrs. Gray’s 
brother was assistant to the master of Eton, and also a fellow of Pembroke 
College, Cambridge. “ Under his protection, the poet was educated at Eton, 
and thence went to Peterhouse, Cambridge, attending college from 1734 to 
September, 1738.” 

His contemporaries at Eton were Richard West, son of the lord chan¬ 
cellor of Ireland, and Horace Walpole, son of the Whig minister, Sir Robert 
Walpole. In the spring of 1739, Gray, by invitation, started with Horace 
Walpole for a tour through France and Italy. Gray wrote remarks on all 
that he saw of interest. His sketches show admirable taste and deep learn¬ 
ing. “ Since Milton, no such accomplished English traveler had visited 
those shores.” The galleries of Rome, Florence, Naples, etc., furnished ample 
opportunity for observations on art, in which department, also, he proved to 
be at home. 

The poet returned to England in 1741. His father died in November 
following, leaving but a small fortune. Thus left without the means to study, 
he fixed his residence at Cambridge for the purpose of following litera¬ 
ture as a profession. There “he had the range of noble libraries,” and “ he 
pursued with critical attention the Greek and Roman poets, philosophers, 
historians, and orators.” He was well versed in every department of human 
learning, excepting mathematics. He was too studious and critical to be a 
voluminous writer. 

In 1765 the poet journeyed into Scotland and Wales, also to Cumber¬ 
land and Westmoreland, to view the scenery of the lakes. His letters 
descriptive of these excursions are “ remarkable for elegance and precision, 
for correct and extensive observation, and for a dry, scholastic humor pecul¬ 
iar to the poet.” Returning from these holidays, Gray settled down in his 
college retreat for close application to study. 

A few poems include all the original compositions of Gray—the quin¬ 
tessence, as it were, of thirty years of ceaseless study and contemplation, 
irradiated by bright and fitful gleams of inspiration. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


189 


The following are his finest productions: “Ode to Spring,” “Ode on a 
Distant Prospect of Eton College,” and “Ode to Adversity,” all composed in 
1742. He commenced a didactic poem, “On the Alliance of Education and 
Government,” but wrote only about one hundred lines. In 1751 Gray com¬ 
pleted and published his “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.” The 
Elegy at once gained a popularity that surprised the poet. “Its musical 
harmony, originality and pathetic train of sentiment and feeling render it 
one of the most perfect of English poems.” The original manuscript was 
sold in 1854 for the almost incredible sum of £131. “The Progress of 
Poetry” and “The Bard” were published in 1757. On the death of Cibber, 
in 1757, Gray was offered the laureateship. This honor he declined. In 
1768 he was appointed professor of modern history in the University of 
Cambridge at a salary of £400 per annum. But his health failed as his 
circumstances improved. While at dinner one day in college hall he was 
seized with an attack of gout in his stomach, which resisted all the powers 
of medicine, and proved fatal, in less than a week. He died on the 30th of 
July, 1771, and was buried, according to his own desire, beside the remains 
of his mother at Stoke Pogis, near Slough in Buckinghamshire, in a beautiful 
sequestered village churchyard that is supposed to have furnished the scene 
of his “Elegy.” 

Gray wrote but little, but the uniform excellence of his productions 
entitle him to rank among the leading literary characters of the world. “He 
has always something to learn or communicate, some sally of humor or quiet 
stroke of satire for his friends and correspondents, some note on natural 
history to enter in his journal, some passage of Plato to unfold and illustrate 
some golden thought of classic inspiration to inlay on his page, some bold 
image to tone down, some verse to retouch and harmonize. His life is, on 
the whole, innocent and happy, and a feeling of thankfulness to the Great 
Giver is breathed over all.” 




190 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


EDWAED EVEEETT HALE. 


Edward Everett Hale, American author and clergyman, was bom at 
Boston, April 3, 1822. He is the son of Nathaniel Hale, the journalist. He 
graduated at Harvard College in 1839. He then took up the study of theology, 
and later was called to the pastorate of the Church of the Unity, Worcester, 
Mass. He became pastor of the South Congregational Church, Boston, Mass., 
in 1856, which position he still holds. He has always been an active writer 
and has been editor of the “Sunday School Gazette,” “Christian Examiner/’ 
and he founded a literary monthly, “Old and New.” 

As a writer he has been termed the Daniel Defoe of American literature, 
and his writings are especially noted for his aptness in giving his romances 
the appearance of actual occurrences. In most of his books a moral is 
plainly visible, and the desire to inspire good impulses is marked. 

A mention of his writings include: “The Rosary;” “Sketches of 
Christian History;” “Kansas and Nebraska;” “Ninety Days’ Worth of 
Europe;” “The Ingham Papers;” “How to Do It;” “What Career;” “Seven 
Cities;” “His Level Best;” “A Man Without a Country.” He also published 
several volumes of sermons. 

He has the faculty of inspiring action in others as was shown by the 
work accomplished by his congregation during the civil war, by their liberal 
contributions of clothing, etc., to the soldiers. 





E. E. HALE. 




















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


193 


JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. 


Joel Chandler Harris was born in the village of Eatonton, Putnam 
Co., Georgia. He imbibed a taste for literature in early childhood from a 
good mother, who entertained him by reading aloud stories of a high literary 
character. As a child he acquired the habit of writing funny little stories for 
his own and her amusement, though unfortunately none of these tales have 
survived. A newspaper man by profession, Mr. Harris began his journalistic 
life at the age of fourteen, when he went into the office of a little weekly 
paper as a printer’s apprentice. The production of little fantastic stories 
was his diversion, so into the columns of the newspaper crept “bits”—set 
directly from the type-case, without the formality of committing them to 
paper. At this time he was probably inspired by love of the work, rather than 
by ambition. The observant editor began lending the youth volumes from 
his library, but Mr. Harris never drew his fund from books,—the sim¬ 
plest things in nature afforded him resources. He absorbed the planta¬ 
tion legends, the songs and superstitions of the negroes, without at first 
realizing their literary value. He has labored for many years upon the 
staff of the Atlanta Constitution, contributing to it his “Uncle Remus” 
stories and other negro folk lore, unconscious that this work, of almost 
unexampled simplicity, was destined to make him world-famous. No 
writer has so affectionately and with such fine and faithful touches shown 
the character of the negro of the olden time. Mr. Harris writes no 
novels, but has shown himself a master in the difficult task of collecting 
popular tales. In his stories it is not virtue that triumphs, but helplessness 





194 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and mischievousness triumphs always over malice, and this is done in a way 
to excite the wonder and admiration of the youthful auditor. Mr. Harris 
was a pioneer in negro folk-lore stories, the religious superstitions of the 
negroes having been hitherto only darkly hinted at. His “Uncle Remus” 
alone is sufficient to give him an enduring fame. Though he has written other 
stories that are unqualifiedly good, as “Mingo and Other Sketches,” “Free 
Joe and the Rest of the World,”—none equal “Uncle Remus’* in freshness and 
drollery. “At Teague Poteet’s,” “Azalia,” “Little Compton,”—suggest what 
Harris could do if he wished, i. e % , become a master of that more elaborate 
creation,—the modern novel. 


JULIAN HAWTHORNE. 


Julian Hawthorne, an American author, was born June 22, 1846, at 
Boston, Mass. He lived in and around Boston until 1852, when his 
father was appointed American Consul to Liverpool, England. In 1860 he 
returned and entered Harvard College, where he spent four years. After a 
year at Harvard Scientific school he went to Germany and studied civil 
engineering; this calling he followed for a time on his return to America. 
While yet in Germany he published his first novels, “Bressant” and 
“Idolatry.” From 1874 to 1882 he resided in England. Besides a number 
of short stories he published “Garth;” “Sebastian Strome;” “Dust;” 
“Fortune’s Fool;’* “Beatrix Randolph.” He also published a biography, 
“Nathaniel Hawthorne and his Wife,” and edited some of the writings 
of his father, Nathaniel Hawthorne. 









JULIAN HAWTHORNE. 













































































































































I 











































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


197 


FITZ-GREEN HALLECK 


Fitz-Greene Halleck was born at Guilford, Connecticut, July 8,1795, 
and died m his native town, November 19, 1867. 

On his mother’s side he was descended from John Elliot, who will be 
remembered as the great apostle of the Indians. 

Halleck was a self-made man, not having enjoyed the advantages of 
extended training in schools. At an early age he became clerk in a store 
at Guilford, which position he held till he was eighteen. In 1823 he became 
connected with a banking house in New York, and for the greater part of 
his life he was connected with mercantile or banking business. John Jacob 
Astor recognized Halleck’s eminent business ability in 1824 by making him 
his confidential agent for five years. That great merchant named him one 
of the trustees of the famous Astor Library, and settled upon him an annuity 
of two hundred dollars. This amount, added to the profits of his literary 
labor, enabled him to retire to his native town, where he lived with his 
sister. 

In 1819 he met Joseph Rodman Drake, and a warm and mutual friend¬ 
ship sprang up almost at the first meeting. The young friends were of the 
same age, both having been born in 1795. Both possessed strong literary 
tastes and fine poetical sensibilities. Their lives blended so perfectly that 
upon the death of his friend in 1820 Halleck became a life-long mourner. 
In 1819 Halleck assisted Drake, under the assumed name of Croaker Junior, 
in a series of articles contributed to the “New York Evening Post,” and 
known as the humorous series of “Croaker Papers.” In 1821, “Fanny,” his 
longest poem, was published. This poem, a good satire on local politics 
and fashions, was written in the measure of Byron’s “Don Juan.” In 





198 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD 


1822-’23 he visited Europe, where the beauty and finish of his verses soon 
attracted attention and secured for him many marks of distinction. But 
very few of his poems, however, were printed till 1827, when his “ Poems ” 
in one volume appeared. The book contained many pieces of great beauty 
written in England. Notable among these are “Alnwick Castle” and 
“Burns.” The following which appears in his history of the Scottish poet, 
will serve to illustrate Halleck’s charming style. 

Strong sense, deep feeling, passions strong, 

* A hate of tyrant and of knave, 

A love of right, a scorn of wrong, 

Of coward and of slave? 

A kind true heart, a spirit high, 

That could not fear, and would,not bow, 

Were written in his manly eye, 

And on his manly brow. 

Praise to the bard!—his words are driven, 

Like flower-seeds by the far winds sown, 

Where’er beneath the sky of heaven 
The birds of Fame are flown ! 

“Young America,” a poem of three hundred lines, was published in 
1864 in the “New York Ledger.” He is also author of an edition of Byron 
with notes and a memoir, and two volumes of “ Selections from the British 
Poets.” 

Our poet is not distinguished so much by the extent of his literary 
work as by the quality. His fame was won before he had attained the age 
of thirty-five; and, although he lived till 1867, he added nothing to the 
celebrity of his manhood. Although purely a self-made man, he yet 
acquired all the polish of a finished scholar. His writings are noted for 
their care and finish and they show the author to have been possessed of 
a fine sense of harmony and of genial and elevated sentiments. His martial 
lyric, “Marco Bozzaris,” is known almost in every English home; in fact, 



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. 













IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


201 


the English language contains no finer poem of its kind. Our only regret is 
that he wrote so little. 

A handsome obelisk has been erected over his grave at Guilford, and 
a full-length bronze statue is to be erected in Central Park, New York. 


HAWTHORNE. 


Nathaniel Hawthorne was born at Salem, Massachusetts, July 4, 
1804, and he died at Plymouth, New Hampshire, May 19, 1864. 

Hawthorne’s ancestors spelled their name “Hathorne;” but in early 
manhood our author changed the spelling to the first form given above. Wil¬ 
liam Hathorne, of Wilton, Wiltshire, England, who came to this country with 
Winthrop and his company, in 1630, stands at the head of the American 
branch of the family. Having grants of land at Dorchester, Massachusetts, 
he settled at that place. In about six years from his first settlement, he was 
offered grants of land at Salem, as an inducement for him to remove to that 
place. Salem offered the inducement, thinking that his presence in the town 
would be a public benefit. In his new home he soon became a leading man. 
He represented his town in the legislature, and as captain of the first regu¬ 
lar troops organized in Salem, he led his company in a campaign against the 
Indians in Maine, gaining a victory. Later he became a magistrate, in which 
capacity he took an active part in the Quaker persecutions. William Ha¬ 
thorne died in old age, well respected, and leaving an ample fortune to his 
son John. Inheriting the capacity as well as the fortune of his father, John 
became a legislator, a magistrate, a soldier, and a persecutor of witches. 
Before the death of Justice Hathorne in 1717, the destiny of the family suf¬ 
fered a sea-change, and they began to be noted as mariners. One of these 
seafaring Hathornes figured in the Revolution as a privateer, who had the 


10 





202 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


good fortune to escape from a British prison-ship; and another. Captain 
Daniel Hathorne, has left his mark on early American ballad-lore. He, too, 
was a privateer, commanding the brig “Fair American,” which, cruising off 
the coast of Portugal, fell in with a British scow laden with troops for Gen¬ 
eral Howe. Hathorne and his valiant crew at once engaged the scow, and 
fought for over an hour, until the vanquished enemy was glad to cut the 
Yankee grapplings and quickly bear away. The last of the Hathornes with 
whom we are concerned, was a son of this sturdy old privateer, Nathaniel 
Hathorne. He was born in 1776, and about the beginning of the present 
century married Miss Elizabeth Clark Manning, a daughter of Richard Man¬ 
ning, of Salem, whose ancestors emigrated to America about fifty years after 
the arrival of William Hathorne. Young Nathaniel took his hereditary 
place before the mast, passed from the forecastle to the cabin, made voyages 
to the East and West Indies, Brazil, and Africa, and finally died of fever at 
Sarinam, in the spring of 1808. He was the father of three children, the 
second of whom, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is the subject of this sketch. 

The above outline shows the characteristics of the family to which our 
author belongs. We know but little of Nathaniel’s boyhood except that he 
was fond of taking long walks alone. Among the books which he is known to 
have studied while a child are Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, and Thomson, “The 
Castle of Indolence ” being a special favorite. In his fifteenth year his mother 
removed to Raymond, Cambridge County, Maine, to live with an uncle, Rich¬ 
ard Manning. In his new home he retained his old custom of taking long 
and solitary walks, but they were along beautiful streams in the primeval 
wilderness, in exchange for the narrow streets of Salem. In the summer¬ 
time he visited the woods and streams with gun and rod; and in the moon¬ 
light nights of winter he skated alone till past midnight. While thus alone 
he acquired some skill in writing by recording in a blank book an account of 
his wanderings and adventures. After a year’s residence with his uncle he 
returned to Salem to prepare for college. At this period the vision of his 
life work seems to have been presented to him. He edited a manuscript 
paper called the “Spectator,” in which his lively style and unusual talents 
were clearly manifested. In a letter to his mother he said; “I do not want 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD 


205 


to be a doctor and live by men’s diseases, nor a minister to live by their sins, 
nor a lawyer and live by their quarrels. So I do not see that there is any¬ 
thing left for me but to be an author. How would you like some day to see a 
whole shelf full of books, written by your son, with ‘Hawthorne’s Works’ 
printed on the backs ?” 

In 1821 he entered Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, where he grad¬ 
uated three years later. He distinguished himself in the classics, especially 
in Latin. His translations from the Roman poets were excellent, and he 
wrote several creditable English poems. In college he became acquainted 
with Henry W. Longfellow, and Franklin Pierce, afterward president of the 
United States. The college friendship, formed by the three young friends, 
held them together for life. Longfellow was among the first to point out the 
beauty of Hawthorne’s style, and Pierce ^gave him a public office. 

Having graduated, he returned to Salem and withdrew entirely from 
society. The forenoons he set aside for studying, the afternoons for writing 
find the evenings for long walks along the rocky coast. -So completely iso¬ 
lated was he that at times his meals were left by his locked door. In this 
early period he wrote extensively but destroyed most of his manuscript. In 
1824 he published a melodramatic story entitled “Fanshawe.” For want 
of merit it was speedily forgotten. His reputation was partially made by 
his writings in “The Token,” a holiday annual published for fourteen years 
by S. G. Goodrich, or “Peter Parley.” Nearly all of the greatest American 
writers contributed to “The Token,” but Hawthorne seems to have been the 
only one who gained any reputation through its columns. In 1835 Henry F. 
Chorley, one of the editors of the “Athenaeum,” an English journal, reprinted 
from “The Token” one of our author’s best sketches, and gave a very favora¬ 
ble recognition of his genius. About the same time Mr. Goodrich engaged 
him to edit an “American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge,” 
but paid him very poorly for his work. In 1837 his publishers brought out 
a collection of Hawthorne’s writings under the title of “Twice-told Tales.” 
The book did not sell well although Henry W. Longfellow reviewed it in the 
“North American Review,” declaring that it came from the hand of a man 



206 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


of genius, and possessed a beauty of style which was as clear as running 
water. 

His authorship, 'however, was not a pecuniary success, hence he was 
obliged to look for other means of support. Mr. George Bancroft, the histo¬ 
rian, holding an appointment under President Yan Buren, as collector of the 
port of Boston, offered Hawthorne an appointment as weigher in the custom 
house, at a salary of $1,200 per annum. The position was accepted but its 
duties were distasteful to him. A change in the national administration left 
him free again, after two years of faithful public service. He immediately 
returned to Salem, where, in 1841, he wrote a collection of children’s stories, 
entitled “Grandfather’s Chair.” In order that he might have leisure for 
study he united with several others in forming a social Utopia. The Brook 
Farm, as it was called, was an industrial association located at West Rox- 
bury, Massachusetts, in which labor was to be distributed equally among the 
members and each was to have a certain number of hours a day for study. 
The scheme appeared well on paper, but Hawthorne soon returned to the ordi¬ 
nary mode of living. 

A new period in his life commenced in 1842, when he married Miss 
Sophia Peabody, and made a new home in an old manse at Concord, Massa¬ 
chusetts. His home was on historical ground, in sight of an old revolution¬ 
ary battlefield, where he commenced his literary life in earnest. Contribu¬ 
tions to the “Democratic Review” had given him a wide acquaintance, and 
gained for him the support of his entire party. In 1842 appeared a second 
portion of “Grandfather’s Chair,” and in 1845 a second volume of “Twice- 
told Tales.” In the latter year he edited the “African Journals” of his 
college friend, Horatio Bridge, an officer of the] navy. “Mosses from an 
Old Manse” appeared in 1846. Another change in the national administra¬ 
tion secured for him the appointment as surveyor of the custom house of 
Salem, a position he held with distinction till the success of the Whigs 
retired him. While in office he wrote but little, having spent most of his 
time in studying. His next work, “The Scarlet Letter,” appeared in 1850. 
This powerful romance at once settled forever all doubts as to Hawthorne’s 
rank in the literary world; it placed him among the masters. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


207 

Removing his home to Lenox, Berkshire, Massachusetts, he wrote 
“The House of the Seven Gables,” and “The Wonder-Book” in 1851. 
Changing his home again to West Newton, near Boston, he produced “The 
Blithedale Romance,” “The Snow Image and other Twice-Told Tales,” in 
1852. Again taking up his home in Concord, he wrote a “Life of Franklin 
Pierce,” his college friend, in 1852; and “Tanglewood Tales” in 1853. A 
reference to history shows that Pierce was the Democratic candidate for the 
presidency at the time Hawthorne became his biographer. Our author 
undertook the work upon the positive assurance that he would not accept an 
appointment under his friend if he were successful, lest it might compromise 
him. President Pierce, however, offered Hawthorne the consulate at Liver¬ 
pool, one of the best gifts at the president’s disposal, and our author’s 
friends finally prevailed upon him to accept. 

In the summer of 1853 he departed for Europe to enter upon the 
duties of his office. He remained abroad for seven years, and within that 
time visited Scotland, the Lakes, and various other places, spending two 
years in France and Italy. As a result of his journey he produced “The 
Marble Faun” in 1860. 

Returning to the United States he took up his abode at “The Wayside,” 
his home at Concord, and sat down to his desk to write. This time he 
resumed his pen with a heavy heart. Indeed there were many sad hearts in 
1860, for the black clouds of a civil strife were settling over our fair land. 
The fever of excitement was raging, and the pulse of the nation had quickened 
iuto a sharp, wiry throb. He was poor, and the attention of the public was 
so absorbed by other matters that ordinary literary labor was not likely to 
be rewarded. In the midst of the strife, in 1863, he published a volume of 
English impressions, entitled “Our Old Home.” This was his last completed 
work. He commenced “Septimus Felton,” but it was not published till 
after his death, when, in 1872, it was published by his daughter, together 
with a fragment of “Dolliver Romance. ” His health failed, his hair grew 
white as snow, and he sauntered idly on the hill behind his house. Starting 
on a Southern tour for his health, he reached Philadelphia, where he was 
shocked by the sudden death of his publisher, William D. Ticknor, who was 



208 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


accompanying him. He returned to The Wayside, and shortly afterward 
joined his friend, ex-President Pierce. His pen, however, was laid aside 
forever; for he died in May, and was buried at Sleepy Hollow, a beautiful 
cemetery at Concord, where he used to walk under the pines when he was 
living at the Old Manse, and where his ashes moulder under a simple stone, 
inscribed with the single word “Hawthorne. ” 

Henry A. Page has published an interesting volume of “Memorials of 
Hawthorne.” His widow edited and published “Passages from the American 
Note-book of Nathaniel Hawthorne” in two volumes in 1868, and “Passages 
from the English Note-book” in two volumes in 1870. While the “Scarlet 
Letter” may be regarded as his masterpiece, yet “Seven Gables” and “Blithe- 
dale” are among the best works of the kind in print. 

“The writings of Hawthorne are marked by subtle imagination, curious 
power of analysis, and exquisite purity of diction. He studied exceptional 
developments of character and was fond of exploring secret crypts of emo¬ 
tion. His shorter stories are remarkable for originality and suggestiveness, 
and his longer ones are as absolute creations as ‘Hamlet’ or ‘Undine.’ 
Lacking the accomplishment of verse, he was in the highest sense a poet. 
His work is pervaded by a manly personality, and by an almost feminine 
delicacy and gentleness. He inherited the gravity of his Puritan ancestors 
without their superstitions, and learned in Iiis solitary meditations a knowl¬ 
edge of the night-side of life which would have filled them with suspicion. 
A profound anatomist of the heart, he was singularly free from morbidness, 
and in his darkest speculations concerning evil, was robustly right-minded. 
He worshiped conscience with his intellectual as well as his moral nature; 
it is supreme in all he wrote. Besides these mental traits he possessed the 
literary quality of style—a grace, a charm, a perfection of language, which 
no other American writer ever possessed in the same degree, and which places 
him among the great masters of English prose.” 




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FRANCIS BRET HARTE. 


Bret Harte was born in Albany, New York, August 25, 1839, and at 
present, at the age of forty-five, he is enjoying the fruits of labor well 
rewarded, and a world-wide reputation. 

When but seventeen years old, young Harte went to California and led 
a roving life for three years, sometimes among the miners digging for gold, 
sometimes teaching school, and finally acting as an “express messenger.” 
In 1857 he worked as a compositor on the “Golden Era” in San Francisco. 
He. contributed graphic and interesting sketches of California to this paper 
without making their authorship known to the editor. In a short time he 
was given a place on the editorial staff. Later he edited a weekly called 
“The Californian.” For six years he was secretary of the United States 
branch mint in San Francisco. At the starting of the “Overland Monthly” 
in 1868, Harte became its editor, but resigned in 1871 and located in New 
York City. 

His style is purely American. His poems are both grave and humor¬ 
ous, something after the style of J. R. Lowell, and his prose works give 
varied pictures of wild life in the West. Harte’s excellent character sketches 
and original humor lifted him suddenly from obscurity to literary promi¬ 
nence, and carried his fame across the Atlantic. So popular did he become 
m England, that in 1871 and 1872 two London book-sellers republished his 
works and placed them on sale. 

His most popular writings are “East and West,” “That Heathen 
Chinee,” “Truthful James,” “Luck of Roaring Camp, ” and a prose work “Con¬ 
densed Novels,” being a travesty of some popular works of fiction. Later, 
in 1876, appeared “Gabriel Conroy,” his first complete novel, in the regular 






212 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


three-volume shape. Critics find greater faults in this than in his earlier 
sketches. His great reputation was won by his poems and sketches descrip¬ 
tive of his life among the California miners. These are mostly in the 
peculiar dialect of the miners, and they show the romance and the roughness, 
the crime and the tenderness, of the peculiar phase of American life in the 
mines of the West. 

His sketches command universal admiration, and by common consent 
he is ranked among the most popular of living writers. At present he resides 
in New York. 


MRS. HEMANTS. 


Felicia Dorothea Hemans was born in Duke Street, Liverpool, 
September 25, 1793, and she died on the evening of May 16, 1835, and was 
buried in a vault under St. Anne’s Church, Dublin. 

George Brown, her father, of Irish descent, was, at the time of Felicia’s 
birth, a merchant at Liverpool. Her mother, a daughter of Mr. Wagner, 
Austrian and Tuscan consul at Liverpool, was of united Austrian and German 
descent. When Felicia was but seven years old, her father failed in 
business, and retired to Gwrych, near Abergele. There the young poetess 
and her brothers and sisters grew up in the wildest seclusion, in a romantic 
old house by the sea-shore, and in the very midst of the mountains and 
myths of Wales, the monotony of her young life being varied only by two 
visits to London, which she never revisited in after years. The little Felicia 
was a lovely, precocious child. Her education was desultory; and she may, 
indeed, be said to have educated herself, the only subjects in which she ever 
received regular instruction being French, English grammar and the rudi¬ 
ments of Latin. Books of chronicle and romance, and every kind of poetry, 
she read with avidity; and she studied Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


218 


German sufficiently to be able to read them with ease and enjoyment. She 
was also fond of music and played on the harp and piano, her preference 
being for simple national and pathetic melodies, especially those of Wales 
and Spain. In 1808, when she was only fourteen, a quarto volume of the 
“Juvenile Poems” was published by subscription. These poems show con¬ 
siderable ability from one so young, but they were harshly criticised in the 
“Monthly Review.” Her sensitiveness is seen in the fact that she spent 
several days in tears over the criticisms she had received. Her strength is 
also shown in the fact that she soon returned to her task with redoubled 
energy. 

A new theme presented itself in the war in Spain. One of her brothers 
was fighting under the celebrated Sir John Moore. Fired with military 
enthusiasm, she wrote an elaborate poem, entitled “England and Spain, or 
Valor and Patriotism. ’’ The poem was well received and even translated 
into Spanish. In 1812 appeared her second volume under the title of “The 
Domestic Affections and Other Poems.” In the same year she married 
Captain Hemans. For a short time the young couple resided at Daventry, 
where her husband was appointed adjutant of the Northamptonshire militia; 
but about this time her father went on some commercial enterprise to 
Quebec and died there; and after the birth of her eldest son she and her 
husband took up their abode with her widowed mother at Bronwylfa. Here 
in the next six years four more children—all boys—were born; but in spite 
of domestic cares and uncertain health she still read and wrote indefatigably. 
Her poem entitled “The Restoration of Works of Art to Italy” was published 
in 1816; her “Modem Greece” in 1817, and in the following year appeared 
her volume of “Translations from Camoens and other Poets.” 

Mrs. Hemans’ married life seems not to have been altogether fortunate. 
Captain Hemans went to Rome in 1818 and never returned. It was claimed 
that he went on account of his health, but it was mutually agreed that 
they should live apart for a time, on account of their limited means. 
For a little while a correspondence was kept up, and he was consulted con¬ 
cerning the interests of the children, but that soon ceased and they never 
again met. Thus left alone to care for her five little boys she commenced 



214 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


her literary work with great earnestness and unusual success. She con¬ 
tinued to reside with her mother at Bronwylfa, where numerous and influen¬ 
tial friends clustered around her. 

In 1819 she published “Tales and Historic Scenes in Verse,” and 
secured a prize of £50 offered for the best poem on “ The Meeting of Wallace 
and Bruce on the Banks of the Carron.” The poem appeared in “ Black¬ 
wood’s Magazine.” In 1820 appeared “ The Sceptic” and “ Stanzas to the 
Memory of the Late King.” She won a prize in 1821, which was accorded 
by the Koyal Society of Literature for the best poem on the subject of “Dart¬ 
moor, ” and commenced in the same year her play entitled “ The Vespers of 
Palermo.” The play was not acted till in 1823, when she received £200 for 
the copyright, but it was considered a failure, and withdrawn. Later it was 
acted successfully in Edinburgh, when Sir Walter Scott wrote an epilogue 
for it which was spoken by Mrs. Henry Siddons. The subject led to a cor¬ 
respondence between Mrs. Hemans and the great novelist, which resulted in 
a lasting friendship. In 1821 she commenced the study of the German lan¬ 
guage, and wrote some on the grave of Korner, in which she paid a fine 
tribute to the genius of the young soldier-poet. In 1823 appeared “ The 
Voices of Spring,” one of her finest lyrics, contributed to the “New Monthly 
Magazine;” a volume of her poems containing “The Siege of Valencia,” 
“ The Last Constantine” and “ Belshazzar’s Feast;” also “ De Chatillon, or 
the Crusaders.” The manuscript of “ De Chatillon” was lost, and the poem 
was not published till after her death, and then from a rough copy. In 1824 
she began “ The Forest Sanctuary,” which, with “ The Lays of Many Lands” 
and other pieces collected from her contributions to periodicals, was pub¬ 
lished in 1825. 

In 1825 Mrs. Hemans with her family, an unmarried sister, and her 
mother, removed to Rhyllon, on the heights across the Clwyd River. The 
contrast between the new home and the old one suggested her “ Dramatic 
Scene between Bronwylfa and Rhyllon.” The poor house with its beautiful 
surroundings she celebrated in “ The Hour of Romance,” “ To the River 
Clwyd in North Wales,” “Our Lady’s Well,” and “ To a Distant Scene.” 
This seems to have been the most pleasant time of her life. Her children 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


215 


were growing up in her home; her fame ■ was at its height; not England 
alone, but America as well had acknowledged her genius; and Professor 
Norton, of Harvard University, was bringing out a complete edition of her 
works in the New World, for her benefit. Her mother’s death in 1827 was a 
great breaking-point in her life, and from that date she was an acknowledged 
invalid. In the summer of 1828 the “Records of Women” appeared; in 
1830, “ The Songs of the Affections;” in 1834, “Hymns of Children,” which 
had previously appeared in America; in the same year, “National Lyrics,” 
and “Scenes and Hymns of Life,” also a translation of Goethe’s “ Tasso,” 
with introduction and explanatory notes. While enduring great suffering, 
she wrote the lyric, “ Despondency and Aspiration,” “ Thoughts during Sick¬ 
ness;” and when she seemed to be recovering, she wrote “Recovering.” 
Her last poem, “The Sabbath Sonnet,” was dedicated to her brother on 
April 26, and on May 16, following, she died. It will be seen that Mrs. 
Hemans wrote extensively for one in her delicate health, and charged with 
the sole care of a family. 

In the later years of her life she visited Scotland, and was cordially 
received at Edinburgh. She formed numerous and valuable acquaintances, 
chief among whom were Jeffrey, who praised her in the “Edinburgh Review,” 
and Sir Walter Scott. She enjoyed constant, almost daily intercourse, 
with Scott, who said to her at parting: “There are some whom we meet, 
and should like ever after to claim as kith and kin; and you are one of 
those.” In 1830 she visited Wordsworth and the Lake country, and paid 
a second visit to Scotland, She seems to have been very greatly impressed 
with Wordsworth’s beautiful home by Rydal Lake and Grasmere. 

O vale and lake, within your mountain urn 
Smiling so tranquilly, and set so deep! 

Oft doth your dreamy loveliness return, 

Coloring the tender shadows of my sleep 
With light Elysian ; for the hues that steep 
Your shores in melting lustre, seem to float 
On golden clouds from spirit-lands remote— 

Isles of the blest—and in our memory keep 
Their place with holiest harmonies. 



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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Mrs. Hemans’ poetry is the production of a fine imagination and 
enthusiastic temperament, but not of a commanding intellect or very com¬ 
plex or subtle nature. It is the outcome of a beautiful but singularly cir¬ 
cumstanced life, a life spent in romantic seclusion, without much worldly 
experience, and warped and saddened by domestic' unhappiness and real phys¬ 
ical suffering. Perhaps from these circumstances, aided by a course of self-in¬ 
struction at best desultory and unguided, the emotional in a sensitive and 
intensely feminine nature was unduly cultivated: and this undue preponder¬ 
ance of the emotional is a prevailing characteristic in Mrs. Hemans’ poetry, 
and one to which Scott alluded when he complained that it was ‘too poetical,’ 
that it contained ‘too many flowers,’ and ‘too little fruit.’ But it is as a 
lyrist that Felicia Hemans has earned so high a place among our poets. In 
her lyrics she could concentrate her strength on the perfect expression of 
simple themes. Her skill in versification, her delicate ear for rhythm, and the 
few ruling sentiments of her nature found ample scope. In her lyrics, Mrs. 
Hemans is uniformly graceful, tender, delicately refined,—sometimes per¬ 
haps, even here, too fervent, too emotional,—but always pure and spiritual 
in tone; and in these, too, she occasionally displays those rare qualities which 
belong only to the finest lyric genius. Many of her poems, such as ‘ The 
Treasures of the Deep,’ ‘The Better Land,’ ‘The Homes of England,’ 
‘Casabianca,’ ‘The Palm Tree,’ ‘The Graves of a Household,’ ‘The 
Wreck,’ ‘The Dying Improvisator,’ and ‘The Lost Pleiad,’ have become 
standard English lyrics, and on the strength of these, and others such as 
these, Felicia Hemans is ranked among our chief British lyrical poets.” 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


217 


WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS. 


William Dean Howells, an American author, was born March 1, 1837, 
at Martinsville, Ohio. He learned the printers’ trade with his father, who 
published a paper at Hamilton, 0. 

At an early age he began writing for the papers both prose and verses. 
In 1858 he became editor of the Ohio State Journal. In 1860 he edited a 
“Life of Abraham Lincoln,” and about the same time, in company with John 
James Piatt, published “Poems of Two Friends.” In 1861 he was appointed 
(J. S. Consul at Venice, where he remained four years, having in the mean¬ 
time married Miss Eleanor Meade, a sister of Larkin J. Meade, the sculptor. 
‘•'Venetian Life” and “Italian Journeys” record impressions made upon his 
intellect and imagination while in Italy. On his return to the United States 
he became an editorial writer for “The Nation,” and in 1865 removed to 
Cambridge and became assistant editor for the “Atlantic Monthly.” A col¬ 
lection of his poems was made in 1873. Mr. Howells now turned his atten¬ 
tion to delineating American character. His style is easy, his characters 
true and the incidents are of the every-day order. His writings include : 
“Their Wedding Journey;” “A Chance Acquaintance;” “The Lady of the 
Aroostook;” “The Undiscovered Country;” “A Modern Instance,” “The Rise 
of Silas Lapham,” and the “Minister’s Charge.” 

In 1885 he removed to New York and assumed charge of an editorial 
department of Harper’s Monthly, 




218 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD, 


OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES. 


Holmes was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 29, 1809, and 
died October 7, 1894. 

At the age of twenty he graduated at Harvard University, then took up 
the study of law. This study, however, was soon abandoned for medicine. He 
studied in Europe for a short time, and took his degree as doctor of medi¬ 
cine at Cambridge, in 1836. Two years later he was appointed to the chair 
of Anatomy and Physiology in Dartmouth College. This position he held 
till 1847, when he accepted a similar position at Harvard, which he held till 
1892. All of his literary work was performed in addition to the labors of a 
continuous professorship in college of about forty-seven years. 

Holmes’ literary tastes were early indicated by his comic and satiric 
verse contributed to “The Collegian.” These were excellent of their kind. 
In his early works, the mirth so often outweighed the sentiment as to lessen 
the promise and the self-prediction of his being a poet indeed. While many 
of his youthful stanzas are serious and elegant, those which approach the 
feeling of true poetry are in celebration of companionship and good cheer. 
He seemed to exemplify what Emerson was wont to preach, that there is 
honest wisdom in song and joy. He contributed numerous pieces to Ameri¬ 
can periodicals, and in 1836 collected his poems into a volume. His life 
was not marked by any noted events, but it was like the steady movement 
of a great river. It grew broader and deeper in each mile of its prog¬ 
ress. “Holmes was a shining instance of one who did solid work as a 
teacher and practitioner, in spite of his success in literature.” “ Poetry,” a 
metrical essay, was followed by “Terpsichore,” a poem; in 1846, “Uraniaj” 





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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


221 


in 1850, “Astraea,” ‘‘The Balance of Allusions,'” a poem. These poems 
were first delivered before college and literary societies. 

Though the most direct and obvious of the Cambridge group, the least 
given to subtleties, he was our typical university poet; the minstrel of the 
college that bred him, and within whose liberties he taught, jested, sung, 
and toasted, from boyhood to what in common folk would be old age. Alma 
Mater was more to him than to Lo'well or Longfellow, and not until he 
came into her estate could Harvard boast a natural songster as her laureate. 
Two centuries of acclimation, and some experience of liberty, probably were 
needed to germinate the fancy that riots in his measures. Before his day, 
moreover, the sons of the Puritans hardly were ripe for the doctrine that 
there is a time to laugh, that humor is quite as helpful a constituent of life as 
gravity or gloom. Provincial-wise, they at first had to receive this in its 
cruder form, and relished heartily the broad fun of Holmes’ youthful verse. 
Their mirth-maker soon perceived that both fun and feeling are heightened 
when combined. The poet of ‘The Last Leaf’ was among the first to teach 
his countrymen that pathos is an equal part of true humor; that sorrow is 
lightened by jest, and jest redeemed from coarseness by emotion, under most 
conditions of this our evanescent human life.” 

Turning his attention to prose, he published, in 1858, “The Autocrat 
of the Breakfast Table, ” a series of light and genial essays full of fancy and 
humor, which has been successful both in the New and Old World. It ap¬ 
pears that this work was planned in his youth; but we owe to his maturity 
the experience, drollery, proverbial humor, and suggestion that flow at ease 
through its pages. Little was too high or too low for the comment of this 
down-east philosopher. A kind of attenuated Franklin, he viewed things and 
folks with the less robustness, but with keener distinction and insight. His 
pertinent maxims are so frequent that it seems, as was said of Emerson, 
as if he had jotted them down from time to time and here first brought them 
to application; they are apothegms of common life and action, often of men¬ 
tal experience, strung together by a device so original as to make the work 
quite a novelty in literature. The Autocrat holds an intellectual tourney at 
a boarding-house table; there jousts against humbug and stupidity, gives 




222 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


light touches of knowledge, sentiment, illustration, coins here and there a 
phrase destined to be long current, nor forgets the poetic duty of providing a 
little idyl of human love and interest. 

This was followed by “ The Professor at the Breakfast Table, ” and later 
by “The Poet at the Breakfast Table.” “The Professor” is written some¬ 
what in the manner of Sterne, yet without much artifice. The story of Iris 
is an interwoven thread of gold. The poems in this book are inferior to those 
of the Autocrat, but its author here and there shows a gift of drawing real 
characters; the episode of the Little Gentleman is itself a poem,—its close 
very touching, though imitated from the death scene in Tristram Shandy. 
“The Poet at the Breakfast Table,” written some years after, is of a more 
serious cast than its predecessors, chiefly devoted to Holmes’ peculiar men¬ 
tal speculations and his fluent gossip on books and learning. He makes his 
rare old pundit a liberal thinker, clearly of the notion that a high scholar¬ 
ship leads to broader views. 

Between the second and third of the “ Autocrat ” series, appeared, in 
1861, “Elsie Venner,” and in 1868, “The Guardian Angel,” two excellent 
novels. Then, in 1872, he published “Mechanism in Thought and Morals.” 
He is also author of a valuable medical work, and of numerous essays and 
poems of value. 

When the civil war broke out, this conservative poet, who had taken 
little part in the agitation that preceded it, shared in every way the spirit 
and duties of the time. None of our poets wrote more stirring war lyrics during 
the conflict; none was more national so far as loyalty, in a Websterian 
sense, to our country and her emblem is concerned. He always displayed 
the simple, instinctive patriotism of the American minute-man. He may or 
may not have sided with his neighbors, but he was for the nation. His pride 
was not of English, but of long American descent. 

Than Holmes, no one has written a greater number of short beautiful 
poems, that are on every tongue. When a noted American ship was declared 
unseaworthy, and about to be abandoned, our poet came forward with a 
magnificent poem, entitled “Old Ironsides,” that gave that fine old ship s> 
half century of preservation. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


223 


“The Last Leaf,” “My Aunt,” “The Pilgrim’s Vision,” “The One Hoss 
Shay,” “Union and Liberty,” “Welcome to the Nations,” “The Boys,” and 
Bill and Joe, are as good selections of the serious, grand, comic and 
humorous, as one could wish. E. C. Stedman tells us that with respect to 
style, there is no one more free from structural whims and vagaries. He 
had an ear for the “classical” forms of English verse, the academic measures 
which still bid fair to hold their own—those confirmed by Pope and Gold¬ 
smith, and here in vogue long after German dreams, Italian languors, and 
the French rataplan had their effect upon the poets of our motherland across 
the sea. His way of thought, like his style, is straightforward and senten¬ 
tious; both are the reverse of what is called transcendental. When he had 
sustained work to do, *and braced himself for a great occasion, nothing would 
suit but the rhymed pentameter; his heaviest roadster, sixteen hands high, 
for a long journey. It served him well, is his by use and possession, and he 
sturdily trusted it to the end: 

“Friends of the Muse, to you of right belong 
The first staid footsteps of my square-toed song; 

Full well I know the strong heroic line 
Has lost its fashion since I made it mine; 

But there are tricks old singers will not learn, 

And this grave measure still must serve my turn. 

• ********* 

Nor let the rhymester of the hour deride 
The straight-backed measure with its stately stride; 

It gave the mighty voice of Dry den scope; 

It sheathed the steel-bright epigrams of Pope; 

In Goldsmith’s verse it learned a sweeter strain; 

Byron and Campbell wore its clanking chain; 

I smile to listen while the critic’s scorn 
Flouts the proud purple kings have nobly worn; 

Bid each new rhymer try his dainty skill 
And mould his frozen phrases as he will; 

We thank the artist for his neat device,— 

The shape is pleasing, though the stuff is ice." 

In the later years of his life, he did not write as extensively as before, 


11 




224 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


but he gave us some of the best thoughts. Many of his sayings must 
stand among the finest specimens of American wit and humor; and his 
writings, as a whole, will always be classed among the best of their kind. 
In his prose works we are constantly delighted by the frequent occurrence 
of the most brilliant and original thoughts. He will always stand in the 
temple of American literature, among the most brilliant and popular writers. 


THOMAS HOOD. 


Thomas Hood was born on May 23, 1789, and died May 3, 1845. 

His father was a man of considerable ability, having written two suc¬ 
cessful novels. He was also a bookseller, of the firm of Yernor & Hood. 

The teacher of Thomas Hood was a person who appreciated the boy’s 
ability, and made him feel it impossible not to take an interest in his studies. 
This is considered one of the most fortunate incidents of his boyhood. 
Under the guidance of his teacher, Hood earned a few shillings by revising 
for the press a new edition of “Paul and Virginia.” He was educated for 
the counting-house, and was given employment by a friend of the family, 
but he soon found that the work was not suited to his tastes. By close 
confinement in the room and at a distasteful occupation, his health, never 
vigorous, soon gave way, which led to his retirement from the merchant’s 
desk. He was sent to reside with relatives at Dundee. “He has graphically 
described his unconditional rejection by this inhospitable personage, and the 
circumstances under which he found himself in a strange town without an 
acquaintance, with the most sympathetic nature, anxious for intellectual and 
moral culture, but without guidance, instruction or control. This self- 
dependence, however, suited the originality of his character; he became a 
large and indiscriminate reader, and before long contributed humorous and 











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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


22? 


poetical articles to the provincial newspapers and magazines. As a proof of 
the seriousness with which he regarded the literary vocation, it may be 
mentioned that he used to write out his poems in printed characters, believ¬ 
ing that that process best enabled him to understand his own peculiarities 
and faults, and probably unconscious that Coleridge had recommended some 
such method of criticism when he said he thought ‘print settles it.’ ” 

While living at Dundee, Mr. Hood showed most clearly his taste for 
literature. He contributed to the local newspapers, and also to the “Dundee 
Magazine,” a periodical of considerable merit. On the re-establishment of 
his health, he returned to London, and was put apprentice to a relation, 
an engraver. At this employment he remained just long enough to acquire 
a taste for drawing, which was afterward of essential service to him in 
illustrating his poetical productions. In 1821, Mr. John Scott, the editor of 
the “London Magazine,” was killed in a duel, and that periodical passed 
into the hands of some friends of Hood, who proposed to him to take a part 
in its publication. His installation into this congenial post at once intro¬ 
duced him to the best literary society of the time; and in becoming the 
associate of such men as Charles Lamb, Cary, De Quincey, Allan Cunning¬ 
ham, Proctor, Talfourd, Hartley Coleridge, the peasant poet Clare, and 
other contributors to that remarkable miscellany, he gradually developed his 
own intellectual powers, and enjoyed that happy intercourse with superior 
minds for which his cordial and genial character was so well adapted, and 
which he has described in his best manner in several chapters of “Hood’s 
Own.” “Odes and Addresses”—his first work—was written about this time, in 
conjunction with his brother-in-law, Mr. J. H. Reynolds, the friend of Keats; 
and it is agreeable to find Sir Walter Scott acknowledging the gift of the 
work with no formal expressions of gratification, but “wishing the unknown 
author good health, good fortune, and whatever other good things can best 
support and encourage his lively vein of inoffensive and humorous satire.” 
“Whims and Oddities,” “National Tales,” “Tylney Hall,” a novel, and “The 
Plea of the Midsummer Fairies” followed. In these works the humorous 
faculty not only predominated, but expressed itself with a freshness, origin¬ 
ality and power which the poetical element could not claim. There was 



228 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


much true poetry in the verse, and much sound sense and keen observation 
in the prose of these works; hut the poetical feeling and lyrical facility of 
the one, and the more solid qualities of the other, seemed best employed 
when they were subservient to his rapid wit, and to the ingenious corusca¬ 
tions of his fancy. This impression was confirmed by the series of the 
“Comic Annual,” a kind of publication at that time popular, which Hood 
undertook and continued, almost unassisted, for several years. Under that 
somewhat frivolous title he treated all the leading events of the day in a fine 
spirit of caricature, entirely free from grossness and vulgarity, without a trait 
of personal malice, and with an undercurrent of true sympathy and honest 
purpose that will preserve these papers, like the sketches of Hogarth, long 
after the events and manners they illustrate have passed from the minds of 
men. 

“Up the Rhine ” is a satire upon the absurdities of English travelers. 
In 1843 he published “Whimsicalities, a Periodical Gathering,” in two vol¬ 
umes. These volumes were made up chiefly from his articles formerly pub¬ 
lished in the “ New Monthly Magazine.” 

In another annual called the “Gem,” appeared the poem on the story 
of “ Eugene Aram,” which first manifested the full extent of that poetical vigor 
which seemed to advance just in proportion as his physical health declined. 
He started a magazine in his own name, for which he secured the assistance of 
many literary men of reputation and authority, but which was mainly sus¬ 
tained by his own intellectual activity. From a sick-bed, from which he never 
rose, he conducted this work with surprising energy, and there composed 
those poems, too few in number, but immortal in the English language, such 
as the “Song of the Shirt,” the “Bridge of Sighs,” and the “ Song of the 
Labourer,” which seized the deep human interests of the time, and trans¬ 
ported them from the ground of social philosophy into the loftier domain of 
the imagination. They are no clamorous expressions of anger at the dis¬ 
crepancies and contrasts of humanity, but plain, solemn pictures of condi¬ 
tions of life which neither the politician nor the moralist can deny to exist, 
and which they are imperatively called upon to remedy. Woman, in her 
wasted life, in her hurried death, here stands appealing to the society that 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


229 


degrades her, with a combination of eloquence and poetry, of forms of art at 
once instantaneous and permanent, and with a metrical energy and vari¬ 
ety of which perhaps our language alone is capable. Prolonged illness 
brought on straightened circumstances, and application was made to Sir 
Robert Peel to place Hood’s name on the pension list with which the British 
state so moderately rewards the national services of literary men. This w r as 
done readily and without delay, and the pension was continued to his wife 
and family after his death, which occurred on the 3d of May, 1845. Nine 
years after, a monument, raised by public subscription in the cemetery of 
Kensal Green, was inaugurated by Mr. Monckton Milnes (Lord Houghton) 
with a concourse of spectators that showed liow well the memory of the poet 
stood the test of time. Artisans came from a great distance to view and 
honor the image of the popular writer whose best efforts had been dedicated 
to the cause and the sufferings of the workers of the world; and literary men 
of all opinions gathered around the grave of one of their brethren whose 
writings were at once the delight of every boy and the instruction of 
every man who read them. Happy the humorist whose works and 
life are an illustration of the great moral truth that the sense of humor 
is the just balance of all the faculties of man, the best security 
against the pride of knowledge and the conceits of the imagination, the 
strongest inducement to submit with a wise and pious patience to the vicis¬ 
situdes of human existence. This was the lesson that Thomas Hood left 
behind him, and which his countrymen will not easily forget. 

But a few days before his death, he wrote the following beautiful but 
melancholy lines: 

Farewell, Life ! my senses swim, 

And the world is growing dim: 

Thronging shadows cloud the light, 

Like the advent of the night— 

Colder, colder, colder still, 

Upwards steals a vapour chill; 

Strong the earthy odour grows— 

I smell the mould above the rose ! 

Welcome, Life ! the spirit strives: 

Strength returns, and hope revives; 



230 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Cloudy fears and shapes forlorn 
Fly like shadows at the morn— 

O’er the earth there comes a bloom; 

Sunny light for sullen gloom, 

Warm perfume for vapour cold— 

I smell the rose above the mould! 

April, 1845. 

In his serious poems he develops a lofty and sustained style, and exhib¬ 
its true poetic imagination, as may be seen by the rich and musical diction 
af his “ Ode to the Moon: ” 

Mother of light! how fairly dost thou go 
Over those hoary crests, divinely led ! 

Art thou that huntress of the silver bow 
Fabled of old ? Or rather dost thou tread 
Those cloudy summits thence to gaze below, 

Like the wild chamois on her Alpine snow, 

Where hunter never climbed—secure from dread ? 

A thousand ancient fancies I have read 
Of that fair presence, and a thousand wrought, 

Wondrous and bright, 

Upon the silver light, 

Tracing fresh figures with the artist thought. 

What art thou like ? Sometimes I see thee ride 
A far-bound galley on its perilous way ; 

Whilst silvery waves toss up their silvery spray ; 

Sometimes behold thee glide, 

Clustered by all thy family of stars, 

Like a lone widow through the welkin wide. 

Whose pallid cheek the midnight sorrow mars ; 

Sometimes I watch thee on from steep to steep, 

Timidly lighted by thy vestal torch. 

Till in some Latinian cave I see thee creep, 

To catch the young Endymion asleep, 

Leaving thy splendor at the jagged porch. 

Oh, thou art beautiful, howe’er it be ! 

Huntress, or Dian, or whatever named— 

And he the veriest Pagan who first framed 
A silver idol, and ne’er worshiped thee : 

It is too late, or thou shouldst have my knee— 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


231 


Too late now for the old Ephesian vows, 

And not divine the crescent on thy brows, 

Yet call thee nothing but the mere mild moon, 

Behind those chestnut boughs; 

Casting their dappled shadows at my feet; 

I will be grateful for that simple boon, 

In many a thoughtful verse and anthem sweet, 

And bless thy dainty face whene’er we meet. 

Hood’s works have been collected into four volumes: “ Poems of Wit 
and Humor;” “Hood’s Own, or Laughter from Year to Year;” “Whims and 
Oddities in Prose and Verse.” 


JO SI AH GILBERT HOLLAND. 


Dr. Holland was born in 1819, and died in New York, October 12, 

1881. 

His family was of the oldest Puritan stock; the original ancestors, 
John and Judith Holland, appear to have been members of that church 
which was organized before sailing from Plymouth, in England, and which 
emigrated, bodily and ecclesiastically, into the wilderness at Dorchester. 

During a considerable part of his childhood the family, pursued by mis¬ 
fortune, led a sort of roving life. For some years they lived in Heath ; then 
they returned to Belchertown; then we find them migrating to South Hadley, 
to Granby, and elsewhere, as the unprosperous father was able to find 
work. The promising son, Josiah, had little chance for learning, getting 
but a few months in the public schools in winter. 

While the family lived at Northampton Josiah entered the North¬ 
ampton High School, where he pursued his studies with great eagerness 
and ability. The older inhabitants of a certain little mountain village in Ver¬ 
mont will tell you to day of a tall young man who, more than forty-five years 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


ago, taught penmanship from town to town, and who used to recite his own 
poems to his intimate friends. He tried daguerreotypy and district school 
teaching. 

Finding it impossible to obtain such an education as he desired, he 
decided to study medicine. In 1844 he was graduated at the Berkshire 
Medical College with honor. In 1845 Doctor Holland formed a partnership 
with his classmate, Doctor Bailey, and commenced his medical practice at 
Springfield, Massachusetts. In the same year he married Miss Elizabeth 
Chapin, of Springfield. His married life was one of unusual happiness. 

The practice of medicine was distasteful, hence the time that ought to 
have been given to his professional study was given to correspondence for 
the old “Knickerbocker Magazine” and other periodicals. Attracted to 
journalism, he started the “ Bay State Weekly Courier” at Springfield. The 
paper was started as ‘"A New Family Newspaper,” but it survived only for 
six months. Not finding success in his profession, and failing in journalism, 
he became a teacher in Richmond, Virginia. 

In 1849 Holland returned to Springfield, where he became assistant 
editor of the “Republican.” With tireless energy and unlimited researches, 
he gathered local and general matter for his paper. Proceeding upon the 
theory that people are interested in themselves and in their own locality, he 
published a “History of Western Massachusetts.” In 1857, “Bay Path,” 
a novel, came from his study of local history. Nine years after he entered 
the office of this paper he began the publication of the “ Letters to Young 
People, Married and Single,” in the columns of the “Republican.” The play¬ 
ful signature of “Timothy Titcomb,” and all the circumstances of their pro¬ 
duction, go to show that the author had no thought of winning his first deci¬ 
sive battle with these general epistles. But they were popular from the 
start, and Holland found out then what all the world knows now, that he 
was a great preacher. 

The poem of “Bittersweet” appeared in the same year, 1858, and was 
yet more successful. Its sale has run up to seventy-five thousand copies, 
beside its circulation in the collected poems. “Gold Foil,” which appeared 
*emlly as “Preachings from Popular Proverbs,” was put in covers in 1859; 




J. G. HOLLAND 
































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


235 


“Miss Gilbert’s Career,” a novel, was issued in the following year; “Les¬ 
sons in Life ” in 1861, and the “ Letters to the Joneses ” in 1863; a volume 
of lectures was published in 1865, and in the same year appeared Doctor 
Holland’s “ Life of Abraham Lincoln,” which was sold by subscription, and 
brought him more money than he probably ever dreamed of possessing in his 
early life. The climax of his fame and popular success as an author of 
books was attained in 1868, when the poem “Katrina” appeared. It has 
outstripped all its fellows in popular favor, and outsold all other American 
poems except Longfellow’s “ Hiawatha. ” The sales now aggregate over nine¬ 
ty-nine thousand. “ The Marble Prophecy,” a poem founded on the Laocoon, 
was issued in 1872, and then appeared in succession, in the pages of “Scrib¬ 
ner’s Monthly ” first, and afterward in book form, the later group of novels, 
“Arthur Bonnicastle,” “Sevenoaks,” and “Nicholas Minturn.” “The 
Mistress of the Manse” appeared in 1875. 

In addition to his other literary labors he was one of the most popular 
of American lecturers. In 1868 he went to Europe, where he remained two 
years. It was a very important epoch in his life, and an important point in 
the history of American literature and art, for it was, as he has related, on 
a bridge in Geneva that he proposed to his friend, Mr. Roswell Smith, the 
founding of “ Scribner’s Monthly.” This institution is of itself enough to 
make American literature forever Dr. Holland’s debtor. 

He had his home in New York and his beautiful country place in the 
Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence, and he was able to pass the closing 
hours of life’s day-time in thorough enjoyment of the world. 

Dr. Holland died suddenly of heart disease. Without failure of fac¬ 
ulty, in the midst of his daily work, with no pain of prolonged suffering, in 
his own chamber, amid tender and sacred affection, his eyes closed. 

He had written no word that he would blot, but a thousand words that 
have been a cheer and an impulse to thousands of his fellow-men. 




236 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


> > \ \ 




JULIA WAED HOWE. 


Julia Ward Howe was born in New York, May 27, 1819. Her father, 
Samuel Ward, was a banker, noted for his liberality and public spirit. Her 
mother was a lady of rare culture. She received a careful education, and in 
1843 married Dr. S. G. How r e. They made an extended trip in Europe. 
In 1850 she made a second trip, spending nearly a year in Rome. She took 
an active part in the anti-slavery movement. During the Civil War she was 
an active worker in the United States Sanitary Commission. She has been 
a prominent worker in many social reforms. During the World’s Fair, 
held in New Orleans, she held the position of chief of the woman’s de¬ 
partment. 

In 1854 appeared her first book, “Passion Flower,” which was followed, 
in 1856, by “Words for the Hour.” Then came “The World’s Own,” and 
“Hippolitus,” two tragedies. In 1866 she published “Later Lyrics,” which 
comprised “Poems of the War,” “Lyrics of the Street,” “Parables” and 
“Poems of Study.” Of all her poems, the “Rattle-Hymn of the Republic” 
is the most memorable. The terrible events of the war greatly stirred her, 
and it was then that her great mental powers made themselves felt. Later 
she threw her whole energies in behalf of woman’s rights, and carried with 
her all the fervor of her anti-slavery and war-time crusades. 

Besides the poems she has published “A Trip to Cuba,” 1858, and 
“From the Oak to the Olive.” 

Though now about seventy*five years old she is active for one of her 
years in her chosen fields. 







JULIA WARD HOWE 



















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


239 


VICTOR HUGO. 


Victor Marie Hugo was born in Basancon, February 26, 1802. 

His father was a military officer, hence in childhood Victor was not 
settled in any one locality, but was carried to Elba, Corsica, Switzerland, 

and Italy. 

In his seventh year he was taken to Paris, where his mother and an 
old priest superintended his education, and where he commenced his classical 
studies in company with an elder brother, Eugene, and a young girl who 
afterward became his wife. In 1811, his father having been made general 
and appointed major-domo of Joseph Bonaparte, the new king of Spain, Vic¬ 
tor went to Madrid, and entered the seminary of nobles with a view of be¬ 
coming one of the pages of Joseph; but subsequent events defeated this de¬ 
sign. In 1812 Mme. Hugo returned to Paris, where her sons continued their 
classical studies. When the empire fell, the general and his wife parted, and 
the former took charge of the education of Victor. He was placed in a pri¬ 
vate academy that he might prepare himself for the school of polytechnics. 
He showed considerable mathematical ability, but his strong inclinations 
were toward poetry. His first poem gave such excellent promise that his 
father decided to prepare him for a literary life. 

In 1817 he presented to the French academy a poem upon “ Les Avan- 
tages de l’Etude.” Afterward he won three prizes in succession at Toulouse 
academy of floral games. In 1822 he published his first volume of Odes et 
Ballades,” which created a decided sensation. In 1823 he published a novel 
entitled “Han d’lslande,” and in 1825, “Bug-Jargal.” These two novels 
took rank among the best writings of the time, and at once presented Victor 





240 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Hugo as an original and forcible prose writer. In 1826 he published a sec¬ 
ond volume of “ Odes et Ballades.” 

He contemplated starting a new school of literature in France. For 
this purpose Hugo, in company with others, formed a literary circle called 
the “Cenacle,” in which they were to discuss new artistic and literary doc¬ 
trines. For the purpose of carrying into effect their plans, they started a 
literary periodical called “La Muse Francaise.” This journal attracted no 
particular attention. In 1827 the drama of “ Cromwell” was performed as a 
specimen of the literary reforms aimed at by the new school. From this 
date Victor Hugo was acknowledged as the leader of the French literary 
school known as the Romanticists, and he waged a relentless warfare against 
the opposite school known as the “ Classicists.” His victory was complete. 
At the age of twenty-five he was acknowledged as master in French poetry 
and prose. 

In 1828 his fame was greatly enhanced by the publication of “Les Ori- 
entales.” “ Le jour d’un Condamne” which followed, fascinated the public by 
its vivid delineations of the mental tortures of a man doomed to execution. 
For the next twelve or thirteen years, Hugo produced a literary cyclone in 
France, that carried everything before it. Dramas, poems and miscellaneous 
writings poured from his pen in perfect torrents. The contest between the two 
schools of literature reached its climax in 1830, when the drama of “ Hernani ” 
was produced at the Theatre Francais. In 1831 appeared “ Marion Delorme,” 
another dramatical triumph, also lyrical poems, and a novel entitled “Notre 
Dame de Paris.” His reputation had become so great that he was elected 
to the French academy in 1841, although the old classic school opposed 
him. Thus, having reached the highest distinction in literature, he turned 
his attention to politics. His political aspirations were gratified by his being 
made a member of the Legion of Honor, and created a peer of France 
in 1845. 

On the revolution of 1848 he was elected a deputy to the constituent 
assembly, where he generally voted with the conservative party. On his 
re-election he showed greater democratic tendencies, and in strong speeches 
denounced the action of the majority. He also opposed the secret policy of 




VICTOR HUGO. 















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


243 


President Louis Napoleon. When Napoleon declared himself king of 
France, Hugo boldly asserted the rights of the assembly, and sought to 
preserve the constitution. This action led to his proscription. Taking 
refuge in the island of Jersey he resumed his pen. However, he kept up his 
opposition to Loui 3 Napoleon. In 1852 Hugo made a bitter attack upon the 
ruler in his “ Napoleon le Petit;” and in 1853 in a fierce satire entitled “Les 
Chatiments.” Hostile movements caused him to remove to the island of 
Guernsey for two years. The general amnesty offered to political exiles in 
1859 he refused to accept. In 1856 Hugo published “ Les Contemplations,” 
a collection of lyrical and personal poems; in 1859, “ Les Legende des 
Siecles, ” two volumes, being a series of poems mainly of an epic character. 
In 1862 “ Les Miserables” appeared in nine different languages. The suc¬ 
cess of this romance was fully equal to that of any of his former works. 
We think this work should be in every popular library. 

Passing over some of his writings, which, by the way, were fully up to 
his standard of excellence, we will note that in 1869 he again lefused to 
return to France upon the emperor’s amnesty proclamation. When the 
empire fell, however, and the republic was proclaimed, that prince of French 
writers and staunch friend of the people, Victor M. Hugo, returned to his 
own country. In 1871 he was elected to the national assembly. He 
opposed the parliamentary treaty of peace between France and Germany 
with so much earnestness as to arouse the anger of the party of the right. 
When he attempted to address the assembly the opposition was so violent 
that he left the tribune and resigned his seat. Leaving France, he went to 
Brussels, but his bold movements there soon led the Belgian government to 
order him to leave. He next went to London, where he remained till the 
condemnation of the commune leaders. In 1872 he published a volume of 
poetry entitled “L’ Annee Terrible,” depicting the misfortunes of France ; and 
also, in company with his son, started a democratic journal. In 1874 his 
novel, “Quatre-vingt-treize,” was published simultaneously m several different 
languages. Two of his sons, Charles and Victor, have become prominent in 
literature. 

Victor Hugo was a tireless worker, having recently finished his one- 



244 


IN TIIE LITERARY WORLD. 


hundredth publication. He is said to have kept two secretaries busy writing 
while he dictated. When the hour came for him to commence his literary 
task for the day, he commenced walking around in the room, his head 
slightly elevated, and his eyes looking upward in an angle of about forty-five 
degrees. Under these circumstances he dictated the. matter and language of 
his works, while his secretaries wrote down the sentences as they fell from 
his lips. 

He died August 22, 1885, and was given a public funeral and burial. 
He was 83 years old on his last birthday, the 26th of February. 


LEIGH HUNT. 


James Henry Leigh Hunt was born at Southgate, England, October 
19, 1784, and his singularly eventful life closed at Putney, on August 28, 
1859. 

His father, from West India, settled at Philadelphia, and entered upon 
the practice of law. His mother was the daughter of a Philadelphia mer¬ 
chant. Leigh Hunt was educated at Christ’s Hospital. He was prevented 
from entering the university on the account of an impediment in his speech. 
His school life was creditable, but not specially brilliant. He left college at 
the age of fifteen; and for some time after did nothing, as he himself said, 
but visit his school-fellows, haunt book stalls, and write verse. In 1802 his 
father collected Leigh’s poems and published them under the title of “Ju¬ 
venilia. ” As most of the poems were written by the youth at the age of six¬ 
teen, they were considered good. 

In 1805 his brother started a paper called “The News,” and Leigh 
Hunt went to live with him and write the theatrical criticisms for its columns. 
He also secured a position as clerk in the War Office. In 1808 he left the 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


245 


clerkship, and, jointly with his brother, established “ The Examiner” and 
assumed the editorial management. This was a weekly journal, and it soon 
acquired a high reputation for its independence in political and literary criti¬ 
cisms. Finally, “The Examiner” made an attack upon the prince regent, 
terming him a fat Adonis at fifty.” The prince was offended, and the chief 
cause of the offense was the truthfulness of the personality. Hunt was 
arrested, tried, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in the Surrey jail. 
“ The effect was naturally to make Hunt a hero for the time being, and to 
give a political direction to the career of the man of letters. The position 
was an essentially false one, and led to an entire misunderstanding of Leigh 
Hunt’s character and aptitudes alike on the part of his friends and his 
antagonists. For the time he was exceedingly popular; the cheerfulness 
and gaiety with which he bore his imprisonment, and his amusing devices to 
mitigate its severity, attracted general attention and sympathy, and brought 
him visits from Byron, Moore, Brougham, and others, whose acquaintance 
exerted much influence on his future destiny.” 

Hunt drew the following beautiful and lively picture of his prison life: 

“ I papered the walls with a trellis of roses; I had the ceiling colored with 
clouds and sky; the barred windows were screened with Venetian blinds; 
and when my bookcases were set up, with their busts and flowers, and a 
pianoforte made its appearance, perhaps there was not a handsomer room 
on that side of the water. ” 

In 1816 he published his “Story of Rimini,” an Italian tale in verse, 
which gave him a place in the front rank of English literature. It possessed 
fine taste; and it completely modified the generally accepted standard of 
literary composition. It has been remarked that it does not contain one 
hackneyed or conventional rhyme. At Hampstead nearly all the rising 
young men of liberal sympathies, including Keats, Shelley, Lamb, and Rey¬ 
nolds, gathered around him. 

Hunt had married Miss Kent, and, for want of proper means, had 
become greatly confused in his business affairs. Shelley came to his rescue 
and saved him, in return for which Hunt became a warm friend and a strong 
defender of his benefactor. In 1818, w r hen Shelley departed for Italy, Hunt’s 





246 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


affairs became still more embarrassed, his health and his wife’s failed, thus 
heading to a lessening of his literary work. At this time he was printing a 
series of essays in a paper entitled “ The Indicator, ” but which failing health 
forced him to discontinue. At the request of Byron and Shelley he repaired 
to Italy in 1821-22, to join them in a new journal.to be called “The Lib¬ 
eral.” The sudden death of Shelley and the disaffection of Byron led to 
the final failure of the new publication. Pleased with the sunny skies of 
Italy, the poet extended his visit till in 1825, in which time he brought out 
his matchless translation of Redis’ “ Bacco in Toscana,” and “ The Religion of 
the Heart.” Returning to England, he published, in 1827, his “ Lord Byron 
and his Contemporaries.” This work was considered the mistake of Hunt’s 
iife. While this book was valuable in itself, yet the facts it contained 
were gained while the poet was under Byron’s roof. It was deemed ungrate¬ 
ful to say the least. The withering satires of Moore, and the condemnation 
of most of the British people were heaped upon him. For several years his 
life was one continued struggle with poverty. Several efforts to re-instate 
himself in the public confidence failed. “ The Tatler,” the “ London Jour¬ 
nal,” and the “ Monthly Repository” failed on his hands. Finally, “ Sir 
Ralph Esher,” a romance of the period of Charles the Second, proved suc¬ 
cessful, and “Captain Sword and Captain Pen,” one of his best poems, 
assisted in re-establishing him in popular favor. In 1840 he wrote some 
beautiful lines on the birth of the princess-royal; and in the same year 
appeared his “ Legend of Florence,” a play of great merit, which greatly 
improved his condition, both in popularity and wealth. He also wrote for 
the stage, “Lover’s Amazements,” a comedy, and other successful plays that 
were not printed. In 1842 Hunt published “ The Palfrey,” a beautiful nar¬ 
rative poem, and commenced to write for the “ Edinburgh Review.” His 
financial matters were greatly benefited in 1844 by an annuity of £120, 
which the generous Mrs. Shelley and her son settled upon him; and in 1847 
by a civil pension of £200 per annum, secured through the influence of Lord 
John Russel. This magnificent support gave Leigh Hunt leisure hours to 
devote to literature; and, as a result, numerous charming volumes fell from 
his pen. These we must mention briefly. “Imagination and Fancy,” and 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


247 


“Wit and Humor,” in which he shows himself one of the most refined, 
appreciative, and happy of critics; “A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla,” 
a companion volume on the pastoral poetry of Sicily; “ The Town and Men, 
Women and Books”; “Old Court Suburb,” an anecdotic sketch of one of his 
old homes; “Stories in Verse,” a collection of his narrative poems, original 
and translated; and his “Autobiography.” His collection of “Stories in 
Verse” was made in 1855, and it closed his literary work. He died in 
1859. 

Leigh Hunt “excelled especially in narrative poetry, of which, upon a 
small scale, there are probably no better examples in our language than ‘Abou 
ben Adhem,’ and ‘Solomon’s Ring.’ As an appreciative critic, whether literary 
or dramatic, he is hardly equaled; and his guidance is as safe as it is genial. 
The no less important vocation of a censor was uncongenial to his gentle 
nature, and was rarely essayed by him. ” 


JEAN INGELOW. 


Jean Ingelow was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, in 1830. 
She lives in London, where she is greatly admired, both for her fine literary 
ability, and for the sympathetic interest she takes in the poor of the city. 

Miss Ingelow received a good education, but her timidity caused her to 
lead a quiet, reserved and uneventful life. She was called from her retire¬ 
ment, however, in 1863, when she published her “Poems.” This volume 
at once gave her high rank in poetry, and commanded the respect and 
approval alike of critics and the generous public. This volume contained 
numerous poems that have taken rank among the universally popular writ¬ 
ings and have passed into the current literature of the world. Among these 
we may mention “Divided,” “ High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire,” and 
12 





248 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


the “Songs of Seven.” The last named consists of seven poems representing 
seven epochs in the life of woman, and has been published separately with 
fine illustrations. 

In 1864 she published “ Studies for Stories;” 1866, “Stories Told to a 
Child;” 1867, “A Story of Doom, and other Poems;” 1868, “A Sister’s 
Bye-Hours;” 1869, “ Mopsa, the Fairy,” “The Monitions of the Unseen,” 
and “Poems of Love and Childhood,” published only in Boston, Massachu¬ 
setts, 1872, “Off the Skelligs,” a novel, also the second series of “Stories 
Told to a Child.” 

Miss Ingelow is very popular, both in America and in Europe. In this 
country alone her poems have reached a sale of 98,000 copies and her 
prose works, 35,000. A prominent American educator declares that, on 
the death of Mrs. Browning, Jean Ingelow became by divine right the queen 
of English song. Poetry flows from her pen easily and gracefully and 
naturally. Her songs burst from her heart like showers from the summer 
cloud, and fall, like the showers, with refreshing influence upon the universal 
mind. 

A MOTHER SHOWING THE PORTRAIT OF HER CHILD. 

Are there voices in the valley, 

Lying near the heavenly gate? 

When it opens, do the harp-strings, 

Touched within, reverberate? 

When, like shooting stars, the angels 
To your couch at nightfall go, 

Are there swift wings heard to rustle? 

Tell me! for you know. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


249 


WASHINGTON IVRING. 


Washington Irving was born in New York, April 3, 1783, and died of 
heart disease, at Sunnyside, his country-seat on the banks of the Hudson, on 
November 28, 1859. 

Both his parents came from Great Britain. His father had intended 
Washington for the legal profession, but sickness interfered with his studies, 
and caused him to take a voyage to Europe, proceeding as far as Rome. 
Returning to the United States, he was admitted to the bar; but preferring 
literature, he gave but little attention to the practice of law. 

His first literary effort appeared in the form of a satirical miscellany, 
entitled “Salmagundi,” published jointly with his brother, William Irving, 
and J. K. Paulding, in 1807-8. This publication gave ample proof of Irving’s 
talent as a humorist, and prepared the public mind for a favorable reception 
of his next effort. “The Knickerbocker History of New York,” published in 
1809, greatly added to Irving’s popularity. “Though far from the most 
finished of Irving’s productions, Knickerbocker manifests the most original 
power, and is the most genuinely national in its quaintness and drollery. 
The very tardiness and prolixity of the story are skillfully made to heighten 
the humorous effect.” 

Upon his father’s death Irving became a silent partner in his brother’s 
commercial house, a branch of which was established at Liverpool. The 
firm struggled with fate for some time, then became bankrupt. Fortunately 
for American literature, his business failure compelled him to resume his 
pen as a means of support. His reputation had preceded him to England, 
and the curiosity naturally excited by the then unwonted apparition of a suc¬ 
cessful American author, procured him admission into the highest literary 





250 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


circles, where his popularity was insured by his amiable temper and polished 
manners. Campbell, Jeffrey, Moore, Scott, were counted among his friends, 
and the last named zealously recommended him to the publisher, Murray, 
who, after at first refusing, consented in 1820 to bring out “Geoffrey Cray¬ 
on’s Sketch Book,” which was already appearing in America in a periodical 
form. Some stories and sketches on American themes, contribute to give it 
variety; of these “Bip Van Winkle” is the most remarkable. It speedily 
obtained great success on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1822 appeared 
“Bracebridge Hall,” an excellent work upon a purely English subject, hence 
the humor is more English than American. “Tales of a Traveler” came 
from his pen in 1824, and Irving started for a tour on the continent. His 
literary work had already brought him an ample fortune, and his continued 
income furnished means for him to travel and enlarge the sphere of his 
observations. After a long course of travel he settled down at Madrid, in the 
house of the American consul Bich. His intention at the time was to trans¬ 
late Navarrete’s recently published work on Columbus; finding, however, that 
this was rather a collection of valuable materials than a systematic biogra¬ 
phy, he determined to compose a biography of his own by its assistance, sup¬ 
plemented by independent researches in the Spanish archives. His work 
appeared in 1828 and obtained a merited success. It is a finished repre¬ 
sentation of Columbus from the point of view of the Nineteenth century. 
Continuing in Spain in connection with the United States embassy, he 
gathered the material for his excellent works, “The Companions of Colum¬ 
bus,” “The Conquest of Grenada,” and “The Alhambra.” 

Having been appointed secretary to the embassy at London, Irving 
proceeded to England to enter upon his duties. About the same time Oxford 
University conferred upon him the legal degree as a compliment to his lit¬ 
erary ability. In 1832 he returned to the United States, after seventeen 
years’ absence, and 4 ‘found his name a household word, and himself uni¬ 
versally honored as the first American who had won for his country a recog¬ 
nition on equal terms in the literary republic.” 

He next undertook a tour in the Western prairies, and returning to the 
neighborhood of New York, built for himself a delightful retreat on the Hud- 






WASHINGTON IRVING 



















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7 
































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


253 


son, to which he gave the name of “Sunnyside.” His acquaintance with the 
New York millionaire, John Jacob Astor, prompted his next important work, 
“Astor,” a history of the fur-trading settlement founded by Astor in Oregon, 
deduced with singular literary ability from the dry commercial records, and, 
without labored attempts at word-painting, evincing a remarkable faculty for 
bringing scenes and incidents vividly before the eye. “Captain Bonneville,” 
based upon the unpublished memoirs of a veteran hunter, was another work 
of the'same class. He also wrote “A Tour on the Prairies,” and “Abbots¬ 
ford and Newstead Abbey.” 

In 1842 Irving was appointed United States ambassador to Spain. 
Kepairing to that country, he spent the four years in attending to the duties 
of his office. His pen seems to have been idle until after his return to the 
States. Upon reading Forster’s “Life of Goldsmith” Irving was reminded 
that his own essay on his favorite author was not good enough to leave as a 
part of his collected writings. Thus stimulated, he wrote an excellent “ Life 
of Oliver Goldsmith. ” Two years later he published “ The Lives of Mahomet 
and his Successors. ” His last work was a biography of Washington, and he 
just lived to complete the work. 

“ He was far more of the poet than any of the writers of the eighteenth 
century, and his moralizing, unlike theirs, is unconscious and indirect. The 
same poetic feeling is shown in his biographies; his subject is invariably 
chosen for its picturesqueness, and whatever is unessential to portraiture is 
thrown into the background. The result is that his biographies, however defi¬ 
cient in research, bear the stamp of genuine artistic intelligence, equally 
remote from compilation and disquisition. In execution they are almost 
faultless; the narrative is easy, the style pellucid, and the writer’s judgment 
nearly always in accordance with the general verdict of history. They will 
not, therefore, be easily superseded, and indeed Irving’s productions are in 
general impressed with that signet’s classical finish which guarantees the 
permanency of literary work more surely than direct utility or intellectual 
power. This refinement is the more amiable for being in great part the 
reflection of his own moral nature. Without ostentation or affectation he 
was exquisite in all things, a mirror of loyalty, courtesy, and good taste in all 



254 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


his literary connections, and exemplary in all the relations of domestic life 
which he was called upon to assume. He never married, remaining true to 
the memory of an early attachment which was blighted by death.” 

As an illustration of the popularity of his writings abroad we call 
attention to the fact that Irving received about twenty-five thousand dollars 
for the copyright of four of his works in England. 


BEK JOKSOK. 


Ben Jonson was born in 1573, nine years after Shakespeare, and he 
died in 1637. His tomb in Westminster Abbey, where the body was dis¬ 
posed vertically, was marked by a square stone, inscribed “0 Rare Ben 
Jonson !” 

Jonson’s father, a clergyman, was of a Scottish family. The father 
died before our poet was born. His mother soon married again to a brick¬ 
layer. Ben was taken from Westminster school and put to his stepfather’s 
occupation. The work not being congenial Jonson soon after enlisted in 
the army and served in the Low Countries. His youthful bravery is recorded 
here by his killing an antagonist in a single combat, in sight of both armies. 
On his return it is claimed that he entered St. John’s College, Cambridge. 
At about the age of twenty he was married, and in London as an actor. 
Jonson, like Shakespeare, demanded attention both as poet and dramatist. 
He wrote many poems that show excellent taste and fine poetical expression 
of noble sentiments and fine feelings. “In 1616 Jonson published a volume 
containing his epigrams and poems. This book he styled ‘Jonson’s 
Works.’ Without doubt his fine poetic genius would have placed him in the 
front rank had he devoted his whole time to the muse. But writers of mod¬ 
erate means are apt to follow that line of work which pays best. The time 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


255 


of Elizabeth and James I was a harvest time for the stage, hence the 
‘mighty line of Marlowe’s,’ the living, breathing sentences of Shakespeare, the 
massive, ponderous hand of ‘0 Rare Ben Jonson!’ the genius of Beaumont 
and Fletcher, and the rays of the other stars that composed the constellation 
of the ‘ Elizabethan Age,’ were all turned to the stage.” 

In the dramatic world the name of Ben Jonson stands second. He 
failed in his first attempt as an actor. “ Every Man in his Humor” was 
written in 1596. This production was well received at the Globe Theatre, 
where Shakespeare himself was one of the performers in the play. Queen 
Elizabeth patronized the new poet. In 1599 appeared “Every Man out of 
his Humor.” These were soon followed by “Cynthia’s Revels,” and “Poet¬ 
aster.” He produced numerous comedies and serious plays, which were pop¬ 
ular both in court entertainments and with the masses. 

His private life was one of constant excitement and spirited action. In 
a duel with a fellow dramatist Jonson killed his antagonist and was thrown 
into prison for the act. He was released without punishment. At another 
time he with others was thrown into prison by King James for certain pass¬ 
ages in his “Eastward Ho” that reflected on the Scottish nation. This 
time he was threatened with the loss of his ears and nose but he was soon 
released. His life was also clouded by a fierce rivalry provoked by uncalled- 
for attacks upon Marston and Dekker, two fellow-dramatists, in his “Poet¬ 
aster.” His works comprise about fifty dramatic pieces. In 1619 he was 
made poet-laureate of England, receiving one hundred marks per annum, 
but later this pension was fixed at one hundred pounds per annum. An 
attack of palsy and his poverty rendered the close of his life dark and pain¬ 
ful. Jonson, however, continued to write till death took away his pen in 
1637. 



256 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


HELEN HUNT JACKSON. 


Helen Hunt Jackson, better known Jby her initals “H. H.,” was born at 
Amherst, Mass. After receiving a thorough education she was married to 
Capt. E. B. Hunt, an engineer officer in the army. To them were born two 
children, both of whom died young. Her husband was killed while experi¬ 
menting with a sub-marine battery. After recovering from the shock caused 
by her loss she took refuge in literary work. “Bits of Talk about Home” 
first attracted attention. She also published two. novels “Mercy Philbrick’s 
Choice” and “Hetty’s Strange History.” Suffering from an affection of the 
throat she first went to California and then to Colorado. In 1876 she was 
married to Mr. W. S. Jackson, of Colorado Springs. Her journeyings 
through the territories gave her the material for her charming “Bits of Travel.” 
She warmly espoused the cause of the Indians. Their wrongs caused her to 
write her “Century of Dishonor,” following it with “Ramona,” on the same 
theme. On a trip to California she was overcome with fever and died at 
San Francisco, Aug. 12, 1885. She was buried at a spot near the top of 
the mountains about five miles from Colorado Springs. 


RICHARD MALCOLM JOHNSTON. 


Richard Malcolm Johnston is a native of that state so prolific of fine 
characters,—the state known by all school children as the mother of Presi- 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


257 


dents. Mr. Johnston’s great-grandfather was rector of Cornwall parish^ 
Charlotte Co., Va., where this now well-known delineator of Southern every¬ 
day life, of the mental physiognomy and enchanting eccentricities of the 
people of the small towns and shut-in corners, was born. His childhood 
education was acquired from the old field-schools, after which he attended the 
most celebrated school of Virginia at the village of Powelton. He after¬ 
ward graduated at Mercer College, devoting a year subsequently to teaching. 
He then went to the bar of the Northern Circuit of the state, but in 1S5T de¬ 
clined a judgeship to accept the chair of Belles Lettres in the University of Geor¬ 
gia. At the outbreak of hostilities between the South and North he opened 
a boys’ school at Sparta, but in 1887 removed the school to Baltimore Co., 
Md. During his career as a lawyer Mr. Johnston had opportunities for 
observing the unique qualities of the crackers of southern as well as 
the localisms of the countrymen of middle Georgia, and he at that time stored 
a fund of material for the enrichment of current literature. His literary 
career began after the age of 45, when he published “Dukesborough Tales,” 
without thought of remuneration. This conscientious work presenting a new 
figure in literature (that of the Georgia Cracker), gained Mr. Johnston such 
recognition that it was published in book form, and met with a most favor¬ 
able reception. He adapts commonplace incidents with the skill of an 
artist; this facility, with his lively sense of humor, helps in gaining him his 
enviable place among writers of Southern fiction. “Old Mark Langston, a 
Tale of Duke’s Creek,” “Two Gray Tourists,” and “The Experiments of Miss 
Sally Cash,” are good examples of Mr. Johnston’s peculiar vein. 




258 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


SAMUEL JOHN SOU. 


Samuel Johnson was bom at Lichfield, England, September 18, 1709, 
and in a serene frame of mind his sad but powerful life closed on December 
13, 1784. 

His father, Michael Johnson, held the position of magistrate of Lich¬ 
field, about 1700, and later was a bookseller of considerable note. The 
child inherited all of the excellent qualities of the father in a hundred fold 
power. From his ancestors, also, he inherited a scrofulous taint which 
could not be removed by medicine. In his third year his parents took him 
to London that he might be examined by the court surgeon, and prayed over 
by the court chaplains. While in London he was taken before Queen Anne. 
The queen placed her hand upon the child’s head and gave him a piece of 
gold, but to no avail. Johnson’s distorted features, scarred cheeks and 
imperfect eyesight still remained. 

In spite of his bodily defects, his mind overcame all obstacles. Indo¬ 
lent though he was, he acquired knowledge easily, and was acknowledged to 
be the best scholar in every school he attended. 

From sixteen to eighteen he studied at home. Without a guide or 
plan he passed over the pages of his father’s library, retaining what was 
interesting and omitting what was dull. He read but little Greek, for he 
was not proficient in that language. Johnson was a good Latinist, hence 
he made a special study of the Latin literature. Finally, in his nineteenth 
year, Johnson was sent to Pembroke College, Oxford. “When the young 
scholar presented himself to the rulers of that society, they were amazed not 
more by his ungainly figure and eccentric manners, than by the quantity of 
extensive and curious information which he had picked up during many 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


259 


months of desultory but not unprofitable study. On the first day of his res¬ 
idence he surprised his teacher by quoting Macrobius; and one of the most 
learned among them declared that he had never known a freshman of equal 
attainments.” 

His father’s trade was declining, hence Johnson’s clothes were neces¬ 
sarily poor, even to raggedness, and his appearance excited the mirth and 
pity of his associates. “ The needy scholar was generally to be seen under 
the gate of Pembroke, agate now adorned with his effigy, haranguing a circle 
of lads, over whom, in spite of his tattered gown and dirty linen, his wit 
and audacity gave him an undisputed ascendency. In every mutiny against 
the discipline of the college he was the ringleader. Much was pardoned, 
however, to a youth so highly distinguished by abilities and acquirements.” 
While in college Johnson gained considerable reputation by translating Pope’s 
“ Messiah” into Latin verse. His father’s failure in business, however, 
forced Johnson to leave college in 1731, without a degree. In the following 
winter his father died, leaving him only about ^620. 

The story of Johnson’s life for the next thirty years is one of unusual 
sadness, combined with a constant struggle with poverty. Before leaving 
college he had become an incurable hypochondriac. The following picture 
is drawn of him by his biographer: “ His grimaces, his gestures, his mutter- 
ings, sometimes diverted and sometimes terrified people who did not know 
him. He would conceive an unintelligible aversion to a particular alley, 
and perform a great circuit rather than see the hateful place. He would set 
his heart on touching every post in a street through which he walked. If 
by any chance he missed a post he would go back a hundred yards to 
repair the omission.” Numerous other peculiarities are related, but the 
above are sufficient to illustrate the infirmities of body and mind with which 
this peculiar genius had to contend. 

As a means of support he became usher of a grammar school in 
Leicestershire, but he soon abandoned the position and removed to Bir¬ 
mingham where he earned a small amount of money by literary drudgery. At 
the age of twenty-seven Johnson married Mrs. Porter, a widow, who was forty- 
eight. She was poor as himself, but the man whom we have described, 




260 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and the short, fat, coarse, painted and gaudy Mrs. Porter lived happily 
together. 

He at once took a house and advertised for pupils, but in eighteen 
months only three came to his academy. Eesolving to make literature a 
profession he set out for London with but a few guineas and a manuscript 
copy of “ Irene.” One of the publishers to whom he applied for employment 
advised him to “get a porter’s knot and carry trunks.” Before gaining 
employment he was reduced to the extreme of poverty. While in this con¬ 
dition his sufferings were relieved by Mr. Hervey. In later years the philos¬ 
opher wrote, “Harry Hervey was a vicious man, but he was very kind to 
me. If you call a dog Hervey I shall love him.” The sufferings which he 
endured made him almost savage in manners, and he resented insults most 
fiercely. Osborne, a brutal bookseller, relates that he was knocked down by 
the huge fellow that he had hired to puff the Harleian Library. 

Cave, the proprietor of the “Gentlemen’s Magazine, ” finally gave Johnson 
permanent employment. The “ Magazine” had a larger circulation than any 
other periodical in the kingdom, and our author enriched its columns with 
numerous essays and reviews. He also wrote monthly accounts of parlia¬ 
mentary proceedings. It was not considered safe to publish the proceedings 
of either house except under disguise, hence the articles were entitled “Re¬ 
ports of the Debates of the Senate of Lilliput.” Johnson was furnished with 
meager notes of the speeches, and he filled them out, furnishing* both argu¬ 
ment and eloquence. In his reports he took care, as he afterward said, 
that the Whig dogs did not have the best of it. Being a Tory himself, it is 
natural to suppose that he would put the strongest arguments into the 
mouth of his political friends. 

While thus laboring obscurely under an assumed name, Johnson in 
1738 published “ London,” a work that at once placed him among the best 
writers of the age. Pope tried to find out the name of the author of “ Lon¬ 
don, ” remarking that such a man could not long be concealed. The name 
was soon discovered and Pope exerted himself to get a degree for the poor 
young poet. The attempt failed. In 1744 he published the “ Life of Sav¬ 
age. ” This was considered the finest specimen of biography in the lauguage. 



In the literary world. 


26i 


The author’s name was not attached to the book, but it was generally known 
that Johnson was the writer. Thus the fame of his abilities and learning 
continued to grow, till, in 1747, his reputation was such that several eminent 
booksellers engaged him to prepare a “ Dictionary of the English Language.” 
For this work they agreed to pay him fifteen hundred guineas. 

Johnson addressed the prospectus of his “ Dictionary” to Lord Chester¬ 
field, a man of politeness, and long celebrated for the brilliancy of his wit 
and the delicacy of his taste. Chesterfield acknowledged the compliment 
very politely and gave Johnson a few guineas. For some time our author 
continued to call on his patron, but Chesterfield, not wishing the annoyance 
of his visits, directed the porter to say to Johnson that his lordship was not 
at home. The awkward scholar soon took the hint and stayed at home. 
But as the “ Dictionary” approached its completion it became evident that it 
was to be the greatest work of the age, and Chesterfield, desiring that it 
should be dedicated to him, wrote articles in commendation of it. He pro¬ 
posed that its author be made dictator over the English language. But 
Johnson remembered when “his lordship was not at home” to his visits 
and brought out his famous work without a dedication. 

The publication of the “Dictionary” in 1755 settled the question of 
literary supremacy in England, and awarded the first place to Johnson. 
His other literary works we record briefly as follows: “ The Vanity of 
Human Wishes,” published in 1749. “ Irene” was brought on the stage, 

for which the author realized about £300. 

“ The Rambler” appeared from 1750 to 1752, and “ The Idler” from 
1758 to 1760. In 1759 he wrote “Rasselas” to defray the expenses of his 
mother’s funeral and certain other debts. The little book was written in 
one week and he received £100 for the manuscript. In 1762 George III 
settled upon Johnson a pension of £300. He took a journey to the Hebrides 
in 1773, and two years later he published an account of his travels. He 
prepared “Lives of the Poets” in 1779 and ’81, for which he received 300 
guineas. Johnson also edited an edition of Shakespeare, but it was not 
worthy of his great ability. In the Literary Club, “including Burke, Rey¬ 
nolds, Goldsmith, Gibbon, Garrick, Murphy, and others, Johnson reigned 



262 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


supreme, the most brilliant conversationalist of the age. ” His remains rest 
in Westminster Abbey among the eminent men of England. 


KEATS. 


John Keats was born in London, October 29, 1795, and be died of 
consumption, February 23, 1821, in Rome. 

Born in the common walks of life, it was necessary for him to rely 
upon his own efforts for a support. He was educated at Enfield. Choos¬ 
ing medicine as a profession, he was apprenticed, at the age of fifteen, to a 
surgeon at Edmonton. Although he spent most of his time in literary study, 
yet he completed his apprenticeship creditably and repaired to London to 
complete his work in the hospital. 

While an apprentice Keats wrote out a literal translation of Virgil’s 
;Eneid. The more difficult Latin poetry he never attempted, and never studied 
Greek. Even in early life his literary ability became conspicuous, although his 
volume of juvenile poems did not possess much general merit. This volume 
was considered worthy of a boy of ten. In 1818 he published “ Endymion, 
a Poetic Romance. ” Whatever may have been thought of his former vol¬ 
ume, this one displayed rich powers of imagination. “ Endymion ” raised 
him to the height of the middle minstrels of England, and nearly all critics 
were willing to give him a permanent and honorable place in literature. 
However, Mr. John Croker criticised the poem with such severity through 
the columns of the “ Quarterly Review, ” as to embitter Keats’ existence.- 
Shelley affirms that the first effect of the criticism resembled insanity, and it 
required constant watching to keep him from committing suicide. Under 
his great sufferings, he ruptured a blood vessel in his lungs. Shelley informs 
us that consumption commenced from the above causes. The records show, 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


563 


however, that the disease was a family one. Keats’ biographer, Lord 
Houghton, thinks that the criticism had no injurious effect, but, on the con¬ 
trary, it led him to purify liis style and enlarge his poetical studies. Byron 
had criticised him most shamefully, calling his juvenile poems “ the drivel¬ 
ing idiotism of the manikin. ” Jeffrey reviewed the young poet’s work through 
the “Edinburgh Review, ” in a spirit of fairness, but the friendship availed Keats 
naught, for he was dying. In the meantime, while these unfavorable criti¬ 
cisms were being made, his few personal friends remained confident in their 
opinions that he would yet rise to the front rank in poetry. In 1820 he 
published “Lamia,” “Isabella,” “The Eve of St. Agnes, and other Poems,” 
the volume upon which his fame chiefly rests. This volume raised Keats to 
the front rank, and silenced his former critics. Lord Byron eulogized “ Hy¬ 
perion, ” declaring that it “ seems actually inspired by the Titans; it is as 
sublime as ^Eschylus.” Thus he lived long enough to prove to the world that 
he was a poet born for nothing short of the front rank. 

“ The state of the poet’s health now became so alarming that, as a last 
effort for life, he was advised to try the milder climate of Italy. A young 
friend, Mr. Severn, an artist, generously abandoned his professional pros¬ 
pects at home in order to accompany Keats, and they sailed in September, 
1820. The invalid suffered severely during the voyage, and he had to endure 
a ten days’ quarantine at Naples. The thoughts of a young lady to whom 
he was betrothed, and the too great probability that he would see her no more, 
added a deeper gloom to his mind, and he seems never to have rallied from 
this depression. At Rome Mr. Severn watched over him with affectionate 
care, but he daily got worse, and died on the 23d of February, 1821. Keats 
was buried in the Protestant cemetery at Rome, one of the most beautiful 
spots on which the eye and heart of man can rest. £ It is,’ says Lord Hough¬ 
ton, ‘ a grassy slope amid verdurous ruins of the Honorian walls of the dimin' 
ished city, and surrounded by the pyramidal tomb which Petrarch attrib¬ 
uted to Remus, but which antiquarian truth has ascribed to the humbler 
name of Caius Cestius, a tribune of the people only remembered by his sepul¬ 
chre.’ In one of those mental voyages in the past, which often precede death, 
Keats had told Severn that ‘he thought the most intense pleasure he had received 



264 


IK THE LITERARY WORLD. 


in life was in watching the flowers grow;’ and at another time, after lying 
awhile still and peaceful, he said: ‘I feel the flowers growing over me.’ And 
there they do grow even all the winter long—violets and daisies mingling 
with the fresh herbage, and, in the words of Shelley, ‘ making one in love 
with death to think that one should be buried in so sweet a place.’ ” 

“ The Life, Letters, and Literary Remains ” of Keats were published in 
two volumes in 1848; and “ The Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brown” 
appeared in 1879. 


MISS GRACE KING. 


Miss Grace King belongs to an American familv, her father having 
many years ago removed from Georgia to New Orleans, where Miss King was 
educated at a Creole school and amid associations and surroundings almost 
wholly Creole. She has the skill to make sharp and effective contrasts of the 
simplicity of the negro character, the romantic creole and the passionate 
quadroon,—a faithful delineation of these semi-tropical temperaments, re¬ 
lieved by quiet touches of humor, and with a quality of fineness lacking in 
other portrayals of Southern character. Her first production, “Monsieur 
Motte,” met instant appreciation in this country and in England. This was 
followed by “Bonne Maman,” and a third story of the same character, 
“Madame Lareveilliere,” all showing perfect familiarity with the people and 
scenes of Southern Louisiana, and with a warmth and coloring instinct with 
the southern sun. Her fourth story, “Earthlings,” is a delightful little ro¬ 
mantic narrative. Miss King has recently returned from abroad, where 
after visiting the great points of interest in Europe, she has devoted a year 
to the study of art, literature and history in Paris. These advantages, joined 
to her great talents, give her a high place among Southern writers of short 
stories, her work not only being delightfully entertaining to the average reader, 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


265 


but enduring the close and searching analysis of the literary critic, and she 
takes her place, without dispute, among acknowledged masters of fiction. 

There is in her characters no element of exaggeration, but a simple and 
faithful presentation of the impulsive Southern temperament, romantic, 
sometimes fiercely passionate. In her pen-pictures of this enchanted semi- 
tropical realm there is always an abundance of light and brightness— 
sometimes increased to a fierce and ardent glow. Her work has received 
only highest praise, and has met no adverse criticism whatever. Miss King 
gracefully ascribes much of her success to the supervision and encouragement 
of her father, a lawyer of culture and ability. 

CHARLES LAMB. 


Charles Lamb was born in Crown Office Row, Inner Temple, London, 
February 10, 1775. While taking his daily walk in December, 1834, he 
stumbled and fell, bruising his face. The hurt appeared trifling, but erysip¬ 
elas in the face came on, which caused his death on the 27th of the same 
month. 

His father, John Lamb, was in moderate circumstances. The father 
filled the position of clerk and servant companion to Mr. Salt, one of the 
benchers of the Inner Temple. Charles was the youngest of three children; 
and at the age of eight he secured a presentation to Christ’s Hospital, where 
he remained till he was fifteen. Fortunately he had Samuel Taylor Cole¬ 
ridge for a schoolfellow; and a lifelong friendship sprang up between them, 
which had considerable influence upon Lamb’s life. An impediment in his 
speech prevented him from entering college, where he could receive a regular 
university education. His school life was marked by earnest, thoughtful 
study. He was timid and nervous, and very seldom joined in sports or 
became excited. Cool, quiet, attentive, he displayed almost maturity in 
childhood. 

Quitting school at the age of fifteen, he spent some time at home and 
13 




m 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


at Mr. Salt’s looking over old English authors in his library. Not being 
able to overcome the impediment in his speech, that he might enter college 
and take holy orders, he was compelled to toil at the desk. For a short 
time he clerked in the South Sea House under his brother John. In 1792 
he entered the accountant’s office in the East India House, where he remained 
for the next thirty-three years. He had resided with his parents till their 
death, when “ he felt himself called upon by duty to repay to his sister the 
solicitude with which she had watched over his infancy, and well indeed he 
performed it. To her, from the age of twenty-one, he devoted his existence, 
seeking thenceforth no connection which could interfere with her supremacy 
in his affections, or impair his ability to sustain and to comfort her. A sad 
tragedy was connected with the early history of this devoted pair. There 
was a taint of hereditary madness in the family; Charles had himself, at 
the close of the year 1795, been six weeks confined in an asylum at Hoxton, 
and in September of the following year, Mary Lamb, in a paroxysm of 
insanity, stabbed her mother to death with a knife snatched from the dinner- 
table. A verdict of lunacy was returned by the jury who sat on the coroner’s 
inquest, and the unhappy young lady was placed in a private asylum at 
Islington. Eeason was speedily restored. ‘ My poor dear, dearest sister,’ 
writes Charles Lamb to his bosom friend, Coleridge, ‘the unhappy and uncon¬ 
scious instrument of the Almighty’s judgments on our house, is restored to 
her senses; to a dreadful sense and recollection of what has passed, awful 
to her mind and impressive, as it must be, to the end of life, but tempered 
with religious resignation and the reasonings of a sound judgment, which in 
this early stage knows how to distinguish between a deed committed in a 
transient fit of frenzy and the terrible guilt of a mother’s murder.’ In con¬ 
finement, however, Mary Lamb continued until the death of her father, an 
imbecile old man, and then Charles came to her deliverance. He satisfied 
all parties who had power to oppose her release, by his solemn engagement 
that he would take her under his care for life, and he kept his word. For 
her sake he abandoned all thoughts of love and marriage, and with an 
income of scarcely more than iHOO a year derived from his clerkship, aided 
for a little while by the old aunt’s small annuity, set out on the journey of 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


267 


life at twenty-two years of age, cheerfully, with his beloved companion, 
endeared to him the more by her strange calamity and the constant appre¬ 
hension of the recurrence of the malady which caused it.” It seems 
that his sister had been worn down to a state of extreme nervous 
misery by attention to needlework by day and to her mother by night. In 
that condition she was seized with acute mania, in which she committed the 
dreadful deed. Her malady did return again, but Charles never after had 
any symptoms of insanity. 

His first appearance as an author was in 1796, when a volume by 
Coleridge contained four sonnets by his friend, “ Mr. Charles Lamb, of the 
Indian House.” In the succeeding year he and Charles Lloyd contributed 
some pieces to Coleridge’s new volume of “ Poems. ” These productions con¬ 
tained some merit and served to call public attention to him. He published 
a pathetic prose tale entitled “ Rosamond Gray,” in 1798, and in 1799 he 
joined Coleridge and Southey in publishing the “Annual Anthology,” to 
which he had contributed a religious poem in blank verse entitled “ Living 
without God in the World. ” At this point in his history he was unfortunate 
in turning his attention to the stage. “John Woodril, ” a dramatic piece 
written in the style of the Elizabethan age, was considered a failure. The 
“ Edinburgh Review” handled him most severely. In 1806 he brought out 
a farce named “Mr. H.,” the point of which lay in the hero’s anxiety to con¬ 
ceal his name, “Hogsflesh.” Although the play failed completely in 
England, yet it has been put upon the stage in America with excellent 
success. 

The failure of the play was a surprise to Lamb’s friends, but he 
seemed to consider it as so much schooling. Taking it for granted that 
writing plays was not his forte, he turned his attention to a new field in 
which he won renown. “Tales Founded on the Plays of Shakespeare,” writ¬ 
ten by Charles and Mary Lamb, appeared in 1807, and “Specimens of 
English Dramatic Poets who Lived about the Time of Shakespeare, ” in 1808. 
These volumes contained short but excellent critical notes. In the same 
year Mary Lamb, assisted by her brother, brought out “Poetry for Children” 
and a collection of short school-girl tales entitled “ Mrs. Leicester’s School.” 



268 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


In the same date, also, Charles Lamb wrote the “Adventures of Ulysses,” 
which he designed to be a companion to the “Adventures of Telemachus.” 
In 1810 “ The Reflector,” a quarterly periodical, was begun by Leigh Hunt, 
and our author became one of its best writers. Two of his best essays, 
those on Shakespeare and Hogarth, appeared in this periodical. In 1818 
his writings were collected into two large volumes which he gave to the 
world. The “London Magazine” was established in 1820, and Charles 
Lamb wrote for its columns some of the finest essays in the English lan¬ 
guage. These rose into instant popularity, and Elia, the name he signed 
to his essays, became one of the best known names in literature. 

“ ‘ They are all,’said his biographer, Sergeant Talfourd, ‘carefully 
elaborated; yet never were books written in a higher defiance to the conven¬ 
tional pomp of style. A sly hit, a happy pun, a humorous combination, lets 
the light into the intricacies of the subject, and supplies the place of ponder¬ 
ous sentences. Seeking his materials for the most part in the common paths 
of life—often in the humblest—he gives an importance to everything, and 
sheds a grace over all.’ In 1825 Lamb was emancipated from the drudgery of 
his situation as clerk in the India house, retiring with a handsome pension 
of £450, which enabled him to enjoy the comforts and many of the luxuries 
of life. In a letter to Wordsworth he thus describes his sensations after his 
release: ‘ I came home for ever on Tuesday week. The incomprehensible¬ 
ness of my condition overwhelmed me. It was like passing from life into 
eternity. Every year to be as long as three; that is to have three times as 
much real time—time that is my own—in it! I wandered about thinking I 
was happy, but feeling I was not. But that tumultuousness is passing off, and I 
begin to understand the nature of the gift. Holidays, even the annual month, 
were always uneasy joys, with their conscious fugitiveness, the craving after 
making the most of them. Now, when all is holiday, there are no holidays. 
I can sit at home, in rain or shine, without a restless impulse for walking. 
I am daily steadying, and shall soon find it as natural to me to be my own 
master, as it has been irksome to have had a master.’ He removed to a cottage 
near Islington, and in the following summer went with his faithful sister and 
companion on a long visit to Enfield, which ultimately led to his giving up 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


269 


his cottage and becoming a constant resident at that place. There he lived 
for about five years, delighting his friends with his correspondence and occa¬ 
sional visits to London, displaying his social, racy humor and active benevo¬ 
lence.” 

In 1823 his essays appeared in book form. After five years of exist¬ 
ence, the “London Magazine” came to an end, and he wrote but very little 
after that period. In 1830 he published a small volume of poems entitled 
“ Album Verses.” This, with an occasional article contributed to some liter¬ 
ary journal, closed his life work. He died, as described, in 1834. “ The 

sudden death of one so widely known, admired and beloved as Charles Lamb 
fell on the public, as well as on his own attached circle, with all the poign¬ 
ancy of a personal calamity and a private grief. His memory wanted no 
tribute that affection could bestow, and Wordsworth has commemorated in 
simple and solemn verse the genius, virtues, and fraternal devotion of his 
early friend. ” 

It is chiefly as an essayist that Lamb holds his prominent place in lit¬ 
erature. While there are great beauty and fine poetic feeling in some of his 
poems, yet his essays unite “wit, exquisite humor, a genuine and cordial 
vein of pleasantry, and heart-touching pathos” in a most happy manner. 
As an essayist he must ever stand by the side of Steele and Addison. His 
profound thought, simple language, and easy and entertaining style, are a 
constant source of interest and pleasure to the reader. We are always amply 
repaid for the time given to the volumes of Charles Lamb. 



270 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


LAMARTINE. 


Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was born at Macon, 
October 21, 1790, and died at Passy, March 1, 1869. 

The family of Lamartine was one of the best in France, the title of 
Prat having come from an estate in Franche Comte. His father was 
imprisoned during the Terror, but was subsequently released, when he 
removed to the country. The family participated in some of the most active 
and exciting scenes of French history, and at one time was the most popular 
in France. 

Lamartine’s education came chiefly from his mother. In 1805 he was 
sent to school at Lyons, but not being suited he was transferred to the care 
of the Peres de la Foi at Belley, where he remained till 1809. The next 
year he spent at home reading romantic and poetic literature. At the age 
of twenty he started on a journey to Italy, where he remained for two years. 
His family being strict royalists, he entered the Guards du Corps, and while 
the opposition held the government, took refuge in Switzerland at Aix en 
Savoil. While in refuge he fell in love, and, of course, gave to the world 
plenty of poetry in keeping with the feelings of a love-sick poet. After 
Waterloo he returned to Paris, where he mingled much in society. In 
1818-19 he revisited Italy, Savoy and Switzerland. Learning of the death 
of his beloved he made it the subject of some quite creditable verses. 

Applying himself more closely he soon had a volume of poetry written 
which he published in 1820, under the title of “The Meditations.” The 
book became popular at once, thus not only encouraging him to greater 
study and effort, but helping him to secure position as well. Having left 
the army he entered the diplomatic service, and was appointed secretary to 

























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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


273 


the embassy at Naples. This may be considered the beginning of his politi¬ 
cal life. On his way to Naples he married a young English lady, Marianne 
Birch, at Geneva, in 1823, and in the same year published his “ Nouvelles 
Meditations.” The lady was noted for her beauty and she possessed an 
ample fortune, which made their home pleasant and gave leisure for study. 
In 1824 he was transferred to Florence, where he remained for five years. 
In the succeeding year his “Last Canto to Childe Harold” appeared, a 
phrase in which led to a duel between him and an Italian officer by the 
name of Colonel Pepe. 

“ ‘ The Harmonies Politiques et Beligieuses’ appeared in 1829 when he 
had left Florence. Having refused an appointment at Paris under the 
Polignac ministry (destined to be fatal to legitimism), he went on a special 
mission to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, who Avas not yet king of the Bel¬ 
gians, but was talked of as king of Greece. The next year he was elected to 
the Academy. Lamartine was in Switzerland, not in Paris, at the time of 
the revolution of July, and though he put forth a pamphlet on ‘Rational 
Policy,’ he did not take any active part in politics. In 1832 he set out 
with his wife and daughter for Palestine, having been unsuccessful in his 
candidature for a seat in the chamber. His daughter Julia died at Beyrout, 
and before long he received the news of his election by a constituency 
(Bergues) in the department of the Nord. He returned through Turkey and 
Germany, and made his first speech shortly after the beginning of 1834. 
Thereafter he spoke constantly, and acquired considerable reputation as an 
orator, bringing out, moreover, many books in prose and verse. His 
Eastern travels (‘Souvenirs d’Orient’) appeared in 1835, his ‘Jocelyn’ in 
1836, his ‘Chute d’un Ange’ in 1838, and his ‘Recueillments,’ the last 
remarkable volume of his poetry, in 1839.” 

Lamartine began to modify his political views till he became quite 
democratic in his opinions. Commencing his greatest prose work, the “ His¬ 
toric des Girondins, ” he gave it to the world in periodical form first, but in 
book form in 1847. He made this work the model in politics, and he became 
at once one of the most important persons in France. “ He Avas one of the 
first to declare for a provisional goA T ernment, and became a member of it 



274 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


himself, with the post of minister for foreign affairs. He was elected for 
the new constituent assembly in ten different departments, and was chosen 
one of the five members of the Executive Committee. For a few months 
indeed, Lamartine, who for nearly sixty years had been a distinguished man 
of letters, an official of inferior rank in diplomacy, and an eloquent but 
unpractical speaker in parliament, became one of the foremost men in 
Europe. His own inexperience in the routine work of government, the utterly 
unpractical nature of his colleagues and of the constitution which they 
endeavored to carry out, and the turbulence of the Parisian mob proved fatal 
to his chances. During his brief tenure of office Lamartine gave some 
proofs of statesmanlike ability, notably in his reply to the deputation of 
United Irishmen who visited him in the hope that the new French democracy 
would take up the old hatred of the republic against England, and his elo¬ 
quence was repeatedly called into requisition to pacify the Parisians. But 
no one can permanently carry on the government of a great country by 
speeches from the balcony of a house in the capital, and Lamartine found 
himself in a dilemma. So long as he held aloof from Ledru-Rollin and the 
more radical of his colleagues, the disunion resulting weakened the govern¬ 
ment ; as soon as he effected an approximation to them, the middle classes, 
who more in France than any where else were and are the arbiters of gov¬ 
ernments, fell off from him. The quelling of the insurrection on the 15th of 
May was his last successful act. A month later the renewal of active dis¬ 
turbances brought on the fighting of June, and Lamartine’s influence was 
extinguished in favor of Cavaignac. There is hardly another instance on 
record of so sudden an elevation and so rapid a fall. Before February in 
1848 Lamartine was, as has been said, a private person of talent and repu¬ 
tation; after June in the same year he was once more the same, except that 
his chance of political pre-eminence was gone. He had been tried and found 
wanting, having neither the virtues nor the vices of his situation. In Janu¬ 
ary, 1849, though he was nominated for the presidency, only a few thousand 
votes were given to him, and three months later he was not even elected to 
the legislative assembly. ” 

Lamartine’s misfortunes in political matters rendered the remainder 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


275 


of his life very melancholy. He had reached the age of fifty-nine. His 
money was gone, and his only hope left was found in his pen. He set to 
work most earnestly to repair his fortune, and the literature of his country 
was greatly enriched thereby. A series of “ Confidences ” soon appeared, 
also an autobiography, entitled “ Raphael,” treated his own experiences in a 
romantic form. He published “The History of the Revolution ot 1848,” 
“The History of the Restoration,” “The History of Turkey,” “The History 
of Russia,” also a large number of biographical and miscellaneous works. 

A subscription was opened for him in 1858. In 1860 he revised all of his 
works and published them in forty-one volumes. The work took him five 
years, and in the meantime, in 1863, his wife died, thus leaving him, an old 
man, to fight the battle of life alone. He was about seventy-three; his pow¬ 
ers were failing; public sentiment had changed so as to render his prose and 
poetry unpopular, hence his last hope had departed. He had anticipated 
that his literary labor would secure the means of comfort and independence, 
but the constantly changing sentiments of France ordered otherwise. Be it 
remembered, however, to the credit of France, that, in 1867, the government 
of the empire rewarded his literary labors with a donation of £20,000. The 
fact that Lamartine, with Quinet and Victor Hugo, was standing aloof from 
Napoleon’s government, although Lamartine did not assume the active pro¬ 
testing attitude of the others, makes the donation all the more creditable to 
France. Party strife, however, arose to such a degree in the closing years 
of the reign of Napoleon III, as to give the donation a party color, and thus 
secure for him the censure of the extreme opposition. He lived only two 
years to enjoy his pension, and the empire died two years later. 

“ Ag a statesman, Lamartine was placed during his brief tenure of 
office in a position from which it would have been almost impossible for any 
man to emerge with credit who was not prepared and able to play the dicta¬ 
tor. At no time in history, not even in the great revolution of sixty years 
earlier, were unpractical crotchets so rife in the heads of men as in 1848, and 
at no time was there such an absence of what may be called backbone in a 
nation as then in France. But Lamartine could hardly have guided the ship 
of state safely even in much calmer weather. For it does not appear that 




276 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


he had any settled political ideas. He was first an ardent legitimist, then a 
liberal royalist, then a constitutionalist of an indefinite type, then a republi¬ 
can ; and it does not appear that any of the phases was the result of rea¬ 
soned conviction, but rather of a vague kind of sentiment and of the conta¬ 
gion of popular and prevalent ideas.” Thus we observe that Lamartine Avas 
a fitting representative of French instability. His opinions were no firmer 
than those of his neighbors. The government was as uncertain as the views 
of the people, and they shifted with every changing wind. But with all this 
he was a remarkable man for his time. 

As a literary man he occupies an important place in French history. 
He is not the greatest writer, either in matter or manner, for Victor Hugo 
far excels him. He began writing at a time when the literary fields which 
he proposed to occupy were almost empty. For this reason he rose rapidly 
into popular favor, and, for a time, stood at the head of French letters. But 
he was soon entirely eclipsed by the brilliant and vigorous school who suc¬ 
ceeded him, with Victor Hugo at their head. The study of French history, 
however, would be incomplete without a knowledge of Lamartine, the poet, 
historian and statesman. 


LONGFELLOW. 


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whom Griswold describes as the 
greatest American poet, was born at Portland, Maine, February 27, 1807, 
and he died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 24, 1882. 

His father was of Puritan stock, and a lawyer by profession. He pos¬ 
sessed the necessary wealth to give his children school opportunities. 

At the age of fourteen young Longfellow was sent to Bowdoin College, 
where he graduated at eighteen. He was a close student, as,shown by the 
testimony of his classmate, the talented Nathaniel Hawthorne, also by the 







HENRY W. LONGFELLOW. 




























IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


279 


recollections of Mr. Packard, one of liis teachers. These glimpses that we 
catch of the boy reveal a modest, refined, manly youth, devoted to study, of 
great personal charm, and gentle manners. It is the boy that the older man 
suggested. To look back upon him is to trace the broad and clear and 
beautiful river far up the green meadows to the limpid rill. His poetic taste 
and faculty were already apparent, and it is related that a version of an ode 
of Horace which he wrote in his Sophomore year so impressed one of the 
members of the examining board that when afterward a chair of modern 
languages was established in the college, he proposed as its incumbent the 
young Sophomore whose fluent verse he remembered. Before his name was 
suggested for the position of professor of modern languages at Bowdoin, he had 
studied law for a short time in his father’s office. The position was gladly 
accepted, for the young poet seemed more at home in letters than in law. That 
he might be better prepared for his work he studied and traveled in Europe for 
three and one-half years. For the purpose of becoming acquainted more 
thoroughly with the manners and literature of other countries, he visited 
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland, and England. Returning home in 
1829 he entered upon his duties at Bowdoin, where he remained for six 
years. Upon the death of Mr. George Ticknor, in 1835, Longfellow was 
appointed to the chair of modern languages in that eminent seat of learning. 
Again sailing for Europe he visited the Scandinavian countries, Germany 
and Switzerland. On this visit he became acquainted with the literature of 
northern Europe. Again returning to the United States, he entered upon 
his duties at Harvard. This position he held for nineteen years when he 
resigned, and was succeeded by James Russell Lowell. Thus, for twenty-five 
years, from 1829 to 1854, he was a college professor in addition to his cease¬ 
less literary work. 

At a very early age Longfellow gave evidences of poetic genius. Nu¬ 
merous stories are told of his childish effusions. From the commencement 
of his collegiate course it became evident to his teachers and fellow-students 
that literature would be his profession. While a youth his poems and criti¬ 
cisms, contributed to periodicals, attracted general attention. Hawthorne 
speaks of him as having scattered some delicate verses to the wind while yet 





280 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


in college. Among those youthful poems we may mention, “ An April 
Day,” a finished work that shows all of the author’s flowing melody in later 
years. 

In 1833 he published a translation of the Spanish verses called “ Cop- 
las de Manrique, ” which he accompanied with an essay upon Spanish poetry. 
This seems to have been his first studied effort' and it showed wonderful 
grace and skill. 

The genius of the poet steadily and beautifully developed, flowering 
according to its nature. The most urbane and sympathetic of men, never 
aggressive, nor vehement, nor self-asserting, he was yet thoroughly independ¬ 
ent, and the individuality of his genius held its tranquil way as surely as the 
river Charles, whose placid beauty he so often sang, wound through the 
meadows calm and free. When Longfellow came to Cambridge, the impulse 
of transcendentalism in New England was deeply affecting scholarship and 
literature. It was represented by the most original of American thinkers 
and the typical American scholar, Emerson, and its elevating, purifying, and 
emancipating influences are memorable in our moral and intellectual history. 
Longfellow lived in the very heart of the movement. Its leaders were his 
cherished friends. He too was a scholar and a devoted student of German 
literature, who had drank deeply also of the romance of German life. Indeed, 
his first important works stimulated the taste for German studies and the 
enjoyment of its literature more than any other impulse in this country. 
But he remained without the charmed transcendental circle, serene and 
friendly and attractive. There are those whose career was wholly moulded 
by the intellectual revival of that time. But Longfellow was untouched by it, 
except as his sympathies were attracted by the vigor and purity of its influ¬ 
ence. His tastes, his interests, his activities, his career, would have been 
the same had that great light never shone. If he had been the ductile, echo¬ 
ing, imitative nature that the more ardent disciples of the faith supposed 
him to be, he would have been absorbed and swept away by the flood. 
But he was as untouched by it as Charles Lamb by the wars of Napoleon. 

From this period poems and essays and romances flowed from his 
inspired pen in almost endless profusion. In 1835 appeared “ Outre Mer,” 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


281 


being sketches of travel beyond the Atlantic; in 1839, “Hyperion, a Ro¬ 
mance,” which instantly became popular. In the same year with “Hype¬ 
rion, ” came the “ Voices of the Night, ” a volume of poems which contained the 
“ Coplas de Manrique” and the translations, with a selection from the verses 
of the “ Literary Gazette, ” which the author playfully reclaims, in a note, 
from their vagabond and precarious existence in the corners of newspapers 
—gathering his children from wandering in lanes and alleys, and introduc¬ 
ing them decorously to the world. A few later poems were added and these, 
with the “Hyperion,” showed a new and distinctive literary talent. In both 
of these volumes there is the purity of spirit, the elegance of form, the 
romantic tone, the airy grace, which were already associated vith Longfel¬ 
low's name. But there are other qualities. The boy of nineteen, the poet 
of Bowdoin, has become the scholar and traveler. The teeming hours, the 
ample opportunities of youth have not be.en neglected or squandered, but, like 
a golden-banded bee, humming as he sails, the young poet has drained all 
the flowers of literature of their nectar, and has built for himself a hive of 
sweetness. More than this he had proved in his own experience the truth of 
Irving’s tender remark, that an early sorrow is often the truest benediction 
for the poet. At least two of the poems in “ Voices,” “ Psalm of Life,” and 
“Footsteps of Angels,” penetrated the common heart at once, and have held 
it ever since. A young Scotchman saw them reprinted in some paper or 
magazine, and meeting a literary lady in London, he repeated them to her, 
and then to a literary assembly at her house; and the presence of a new 
poet was at once acknowledged. “The Psalm of Life ” was the very heart¬ 
beat of the American conscience, and the “ Footsteps of Angels ” was a hymn 
of the fond yearning of every loving heart. Nothing finer could be written. 
They illustrate the fact that our inner consciousness breathes the air of immor¬ 
tality just as naturally as our lungs draw in the air of heaven. 

In 1841 appeared “Ballads, and Other Poems;” in 1842, “Poems on 
Slavery;” in 1843, “The Spanish Student,” a tragedy; in 1845, “ Poets and 
Poetry of Europe;” 1846, “The Belfry of Bruges;” 1847, “Evangeline;” 
1849, “Kavanaugh,” a prose tale; in the same year, “The Seaside and the 
Fireside,” a series of short poems; 1851, “The Golden Legend,” a mediaeval 



285 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


story in irregular rhyme; 1855, “The Song of Hiawatha,” an Indian tale; 
1858, the “Courtship of Miles Standisli;” 1863, “Flower de Luce;” 1867, 
a translation of Dante; 1872, “The Divine Tragedy,” a sacred but not suc¬ 
cessful drama; in the same year, “Three Books of Songs;” 1874, “Hang¬ 
ing of the Crane; ” 1875, “ The Masque of Pandora;” and 1878, “Keramos.” 
The above gives an outline of his literary work, though he wrote numerous 
poems not mentioned, and made some excellent translations. 

Among his short poems that have gone into every day literature, and 
are known in every home, may be mentioned “ The Building of the Ship,” 
“ The Old Clock on the Stairs,” “ The Bridge,” “ The Builders,” “ The Day is 
Done,” “The Bide of Paul Bevere,” “The Evening Star,” “The Snow 
Flakes,” “Excelsior,” “Psalm of Life,” and “Footsteps of Angels.” Where 
can we find a more popular collection than that given above ? Eminently, 
Longfellow is the poet of the domestic affections. He is the poet of the 
household, of the fireside, of the universal home feeling. The infinite ten¬ 
derness and patience, the pathos and the beauty of daily life, of familiar 
emotion, and the common scene,—these are the significance of that verse 
whose beautiful and simple melody, softly murmuring for more than forty 
years, made the singer the most widely beloved of living men. 

In 1868 he visited Europe for the third time. What a contrast between 
this and former visits ! Cambridge University conferred upon him the degree 
of LL. D., and Oxford that of D. C. L. The Bussian Academy of Science 
elected him a member, and he was also made a member of the Spanish Acad¬ 
emy. He was received everywhere with marks of distinction. His fame had 
reached even the poor classes and the servants of nobility. It was known 
that he would visit the queen on a certain day, and as he passed along the 
streets and corridors leading to her reception room, he was surprised to see 
the number of persons looking from doors and peeping from windows to see 
him. The queen received him most cordially. She told him the persons he 
had noticed were her servants, that they had learned to love him, and that 
the poet who could thus command the affections of the poor and humble, as 
well as of the rich and great, surely wears a greater than an earthly crown. 
And why not love him ? He is the poet, abofe all others, who has swept 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


283 


every chord of tenderness, beauty, and pathos; and he has lightened the 
sorrows and heightened the joys of ever}' home. His poems are apples ol 
gold in pictures of silver. The gentle influence of his poetry is sweetly and 
unconsciously expressed in one of his own poems: 

Come read to me some poem, 

Some simple and heart-felt lay, 

That shall soothe this restless feeling, 

And banish the thoughts of day. 

Not from the grand old masters, 

Not from the bard sublime, 

Whose distant footsteps echo 
Through the corridors of Time. 

****** 


Such songs have power to quiet 
The restless pulse of care, 

And come like the benediction 
That follows after prayer. 

Other fields were open for his muse, but with a steady and unerring 
purpose he held his pen close to the domestic heart. Scotland sings and 
glows in the verse of Burns, but the affections of the whole world shine in the 
verse of Longfellow. 

A genial writer has paid our favorite a deserved compliment. He 
says that “in no other conspicuous figure in literary history are the man and 
the poet more indissolubly blended than in Longfellow. The poet was the 
man and the man was the poet. What he was to the stranger reading in 
distant lands, by 

* The long wash of Australasian seas,’ 

that he was to bis most intimate friends. His life and his character were 
perfectly reflected in his books. There is no purity, or grace, or feeling, or 
spotless charm in his verse which did not belong to the man. There was 
never an explanation to be offered for him, no allowance was necessary for 
the eccentricity, or grotesqueness, or willfulness, or humor of genius. Sim- 





284 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


pie, modest, frank, manly, he was the good citizen, the self-respecting gen¬ 
tleman, the symmetrical man.” 

For a long time he lived at Cambridge, Massachusetts, in a house once 
occupied by General Washington as his headquarters; the highway running 
by his gate and dividing the smooth grass and modest green terrace about 
the house from the fields and meadows that sloped gently to the placid 
Charles, and the low range of distant hills that made the horizon. Through 
the little gate passed an endless procession of pilgrims of every degree and 
from every country to pay homage to their American friend. Every 
morning came the letters of those who could not come in person, and 
with infinite urbanity and sympathy and patience the master of the house 
received them all, and his gracious hospitality but deepened the admiration 
and affection of the guests. His nearer friends sometimes remonstrated at 
his sweet courtesy to such annoying “ devastators of the day. ” But to an 
urgent complaint of his endless favor to a flagrant offender, Longfellow only 
answered, good-humoredly, “ If I did not speak kindly to him, there is not a 
man in the world who would.” On the day that he was taken ill, six days 
only before his death, three school-boys came out from Boston on their Sat¬ 
urday holiday to ask his autograph. The benign lover of children welcomed 
them heartily, showed them a hundred interesting things in his house, then 
wrote his name for them and for the last time. 

Few men had known deeper sorrow—his first wife having died in Hol¬ 
land, in 1835; his second wife having been burned to death in 1861, by her 
clothes taking fire, accidentally, while she was playing with the children. 
But no man ever mounted upon his sorrow more surely to higher things. 
Blessed and beloved, the singer is gone, but his song remains, and its pure and 
imperishable melody is the song of the lark in the morning of our literature: 

“ Type of the wise who soar but never roam, 

True to the kindred points of heaven and home/' 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


285 


JAMES EUSSELL LOWELL. 


From an excellent article on Lowell, by F. H. Underwood, we make up 
the greater part of this sketch. 

The Lowells are descended from Percival Lowell, of Bristol, England, 
who settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1639. The father of the poet 
was Dr. Charles Lowell, an eminent clergyman (1782-1861); his grand¬ 
father, John Lowell (1743-1802), was an eminent judge, and the author of 
that section of the Bill of Eights by which slavery was abolished in Massa¬ 
chusetts. 

Dr. Charles Lowell married Harriet Spence, a native of Portsmouth, 
New Hampshire, belonging to a Scotch family. Mrs. Harriet Spence Low¬ 
ell had a great memory, an extraordinary aptitude for languages, and a pas¬ 
sionate fondness for ancient songs and ballads. She had five children: 
Charles, Kobert (the Rev. Robert Traill Spence Lowell, an author and poet), 
Mary Lowell Putnam (a lady of singular ability and learning), Rebecca, and 
James Russell, the subject of this sketch, who was the youngest, bom Febru¬ 
ary 22, 1819. The children were nurtured with romances and minstrelsy. 
The old songs were sung over their cradles, and repeated in early school¬ 
days, until poetic lore and taste—foreign grafts in many minds—were as nat¬ 
ural to them as the bodily senses. 

It seldom happens in this country that a lifetime is passed without 
change of residence; but, except during his visits abroad, Lowell has always 
lived in the house in which he was born. 

Elmwood, though not very ancient, has an interesting history. The 
house was built by Peter Oliver, who was stamp-distributor just before the 
outbreak of the Revolution. The house was next occupied by Elbridge 
14 




k 28G 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Gerry, an eminent man in his day. After his death it became the property 
of Dr. Lowell, about a year before the birth of the poet. It is of wood, three 
stories high, and stands on the base-line of a triangle of which the apex 
reaches nearly to the gate of Mount Auburn cemetery. The ample grounds 
have an abundant growth of trees, most of them planted as a screen from 
the winds. There are a few native elms, but those which give the name to 
the estate are English, sturdy as oaks, standing in front of the house. In 
front, also, are large and beautiful ash trees. 

The nearest neighbor to Elmwood in 1825 was William Wells, who 
kept a boys’ school, and from him the poet got most of his early education; 
he was for a time, however, a pupil of a Mr. Ingraham, who had a classical 
school in Boston. 

Lowell entered Harvard College in his sixteenth year, and graduated 
in 1838. His rank in scholarship was not a matter of pride. He has been 
used to say that he read almost everything—except the text-books prescribed 
by the faculty. To certain branches of study, especially mathematics, he 
had an invincible repugnance; and his degree was perhaps a tribute to his 
known ability, bestowed as an incentive to future diligence. 

After leaving college Lowell entered the law school, and having finished 
the prescribed course, took his degree of LL. B. in 1840. He opened an 
office in Boston, but it does not appear that he ever seriously engaged in the 
practice of law. 

A little before his twenty-second birthday he published a small vol¬ 
ume of poems entitled “ A Year’s Life.” The poems are naturally upon the 
subject that inspires youths of one-and-twenty; and though they do not 
appear in the author’s “ complete ” collection, they are worthy of considera¬ 
tion. The unnamed lady who is celebrated in the poet’s verse, and who after¬ 
ward became his wife, was Miss Maria White, a person of beauty, refined in 
taste, sympathetic in nature, and the author of several exquisite poems. 
Notwithstanding the recollections of “ A Year’s Life ” have been set aside by 
the severe judgment of the poet, the student will discover in them many inti¬ 
mations of the genius that shone out more clearly in later days. 

In the domain of letters, dead magazines are the ruins, if wrecked air 






JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL 


















































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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 280 

castles ever leave any ruins behind. Nearly every author has at some time 
felt a shock at the downfall of his castle, and happy is he who is not crushed 
thereby. In Lowell s case the name of the periodical was the “ Pioneer. ” 
He was associated in the editorship with Robert Carter. The “ Pioneer ” sur¬ 
vived but three months. Previous to this he had written some very striking 
literary essays for the Boston “Miscellany.” About three years after “ A 
Year s Life another volume of poems appeared, well known to readers of 
to-day. The Legend of Brittany” and “ Prometheus ” are the longest, but 
the most popular are “Rhoecus,” “ The Shepherd of King Admetus,” “To 
Perdita Singing,” “The Forlorn,” “The Hermitage,” “A Parable,” etc. 

There are several of the poems in this collection which now seem pro¬ 
phetic. They were bold utterances at the time, and were doubtless consid¬ 
ered as the wild rhapsodies of a harmless enthusiast. The ode beginning: 

In the old days of awe and keen-eyed wonder, 

The Poet’s song with blood-warm truth was rife, 

may be regarded as a confession of faith. In force of thought and depth of 
feeling, and in the energy of its rhythmic movement, it is a remarkable pro¬ 
duction, whether for a poet of twenty-five or older. He decries the bards 
who seek merely to amuse, and deplores their indifference to human wel¬ 
fare: 


Proprieties our silken bards environ: 

He who would be the tongue of this wide land 
Must string his harp with chords of sturdy iron, 

And strike it with a toil-embrowned hand. 

This stirring ode was a fit prelude to the part our poet was to perform. 

The Mexican war was in progress, and the abolitionists declared that it 
was waged to obtain new territory for the extension of slavery, and thereby 
to counterbalance the growing power of the Northern States. President 
Polk had been elected to carry out the scheme. The appeal was to Congress, 
through the conscience of the nation, to stop the supplies. 

Mr. Lowell wrote a letter to the Boston “ Courier, ” purporting to come 
from Ezekiel Biglow, enclosing a poem in the Yankee dialect, written by his 





290 


IN THE LITERARY WORLl). 


boh Hosea, in which the efforts to raise volunteers in Boston w«re held up to 
scorn: 

Thrash away ! You’ll hev to rattle 
On them kittle-drums o’ yourn ; 

’Tain’t a knowin’ kind o’ cattle 
That is ketched with mouldy corn. 

Society was puzzled. Critics turned the homely quatrains over with their 
claws as kittens do bettles, and doubted. Politicians thought them vulgar. 
For the first time in history the laugh was on the side of the reformers. The 
more cultivated of the abolitionists were in ecstacies. Some, however, did 
not quite understand the levity of tone. When Charles Sumner saw the first 
Biglow poem in the “ Courier” he exclaimed to a friend: “ This Yankee 
poet has the true spirit. He put the case admirably. I wish, however, he 
could have used good English.” 

The poems were finally gathered into a volume, which in comic com¬ 
pleteness is without a parallel. The “w r ork” begins with “Notices of the 
Press,” which are delightful travesties of the perfunctory style both of “soft- 
soaping” and of “cutting up.” There happening to be a vacant page, the 
space was filled off-hand by the first sketch of “Zekel’s Courtship.” 

Zekel crep’ up quite unbeknown, 

An’ peeked in thru the winder, 

An’ there sot Huldy all alone, 

With no one nigh to hender. 

This is the most genuine of our native idyls. Its appearance in the “ Big¬ 
low Papers” was purely an accident; but it had the air of being an extract, 
and it was so greatly admired, that the poet afterward added new stanzas to 
fill out the picture. In the original sketch there were six stanzas ; there are 
now twenty-four. 

As the Yankee peculiarities of the “ Biglow Papers” are evidently fresh 
studies, it might appear strange that they could be wrought out by a resident 
of Cambridge. For that city though rural is not in the least rustic. The 
primeval Yankee has become scarce everywhere; he is hardly obtainable 
as a rare specimen; he is a tradition; he and his bucolic manners and 
speech are utterly gone. As soon expect the return of Jacob and Rachel as 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


291 


to see again the originals of the poet’s Zekel and Huldy. The old town as 
it was in Lowell’s boyhood is sketched with rare humor and fine touches in 
an article by him published in “ Putnam ’3 Monthly” in 1853, entitled “Cam¬ 
bridge Thirty Years Ago. ” In this masterly picture we see a country village, 
silent and rural. There are old houses around the bare common, “and old 
women, capped and spectacled, still peered through the same windows from 
which they had watched Lord Percy’s artillery rumble by to Lexington.” 
One coach sufficed for the travel to Boston. It was “sweet Auburn” then, a 
beautiful woodland, and not a great cemetery. The “Old Boad” from the 
square led to it, bending past Elmwood. Cambridgeport was then a “huckle¬ 
berry pastur’, ” having a large settlement of old-fashioned taverns, with vast 
barns and yards, on the eastern verge. “Great white-topped wagons, each 
drawn by double files of six or eight horses, with its dusty bucket swinging 
from the hinder axle, and its grim bull-dog trotting silent underneath, 
brought all the wares and products of the country to Boston. These filled 
the inn yards, or were ranged side by side under broad-roofed sheds, and far 
into the night the mirth of the lusty drivers clamored from the red curtained 
bar-room, while the single lantern swaying to and fro in the black cavern of 
Btables made a Bembrandt of the group of hostlers and horses below. ” 

The provincial tone was evident. l r ou have only to talk with an old 
Bostonian even now to see how it was. But the main thing was that up to 
1830 the manners and speech of ordinary folk were those of the seventeenth 
century. The rustic Yankee was then a fact. In fifty years, by the aid of 
steam and electricity, Boston became a modern city, on equal terms with 
the Old World, a center of itself, and Cambridge was developed into a highly 
cultivated suburb. The rusticity was gone. The changes of two hundred 
years went by in a lifetime. 

Becalling old Cambridge by the aid of Lowell’s reminiscences, we see 
how the vernacular idioms and the humorous peculiarities of the people are 
so naturally reproduced in his comic verse. 

Mr. Lowell was married December 26, 1844. His domestic life at 
Elmwood, like the “ peace that passeth understanding, ” could be described 
only in simile. It was ideally beautiful. And nothing was wanting to 



292 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


perfect happiness but the sense of permanence. Mrs. Lowell was never very 
strong, and her ethereal beauty seemed too delicate for the climate of New 
England. Children were born to them, but all died in infancy excepting a 
daughter (now Mrs. Edward Burnett). Friends of the poet who were 
admitted to the study in the upper chamber remember the pairs of baby 
shoes that hung over a picture frame. From the shoes out through the 
west window to the resting-place of the dear little feet in Mount Auburn 
there was but a glance—a tender, mournful association, full of unavailing 
grief, but never expressed in words. Proems written in this period show the 
depth of parental feeling. Readers remember “ The Changeling” and “She 
Came and Went: ” 

“As a twig trembles which a bird 
Lights on to sing, then leaves unbent. 

So is my memory thrilled and stirred: 

I only know she came and went.” 

Mr. and Mrs. Lowell went to Europe in the summer of 1851, and 
spent a year, visiting Switzerland, France, and England, but living for the 
most part in Italy. They returned in the autumn of 1852. Mrs. Lowell 
was slowly, almost imperceptibly, declining. The end came in October, 1853, 
when like a breath her soul was exhaled. 

On the day of Mrs. Lowell’s death a child was born to Mr. Longfellow, 
and his poem “ The Two Angels”—perhaps as perfect a specimen of his genius 
as can be cited—will remain forever as a most touching expression of sym¬ 
pathy. 

’Twas at thy door, 0 friend, and not at mine, 

The angel with the amaranthine wreath, 

Pausing, descended, and with voice divine 
Whispered a word that had a sound like Death. 

Then fell upon the house a sudden gloom, 

A shadow on those features fair and thin, 

And softly, from that hushed and darkened room, 

Two angels issued, where but one went in. 

Mrs. Lowell’s poems were collected and privately printed in a memorial 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


293 


volume with a photograph from Page’s portrait; many of them have been 
widely copied and have become a part of our literature. 

Lowell’s next important effort was “ The Vision of Sir Launfal. ” This 
was composed in the space of about forty-eight hours. Its effect upon the 
reader is like that of the outburst of an inspired singer. The effect upon the 
public was immediate and powerful; the poem needed no herald nor inter¬ 
preter. 

About the same period came “ The Present Crisis ”—an ardent poem 
in a high prophetic strain, and in strongly sonorous measure. This has 
been often quoted by public speakers, and many of its lines are as familiar as 
the most trenchant of proverbs. 

We will here merely mention “Ambrose,” a beautiful legend with a 
lesson of toleration; “ The Dandelion” and “ The Birch Tree,” both charm¬ 
ing pictures already hung in the gallery of fame; “An Interview with Miles 
Standish,” and “Beaver Brook,” a fine specimen of an ideal landscape; “A 
Fable for Criticism,” an excellent poem ranging the field of satire. 

The “ Fable” is as full of puns as a pudding of plums. The good ones 
are the best of their kind, strung together like beads, and the bad ones are 
so “atrocious” as to be quite as amusing. No poem of the kind in the lan¬ 
guage equals it in the two aspects of vivid genius and riotous fun. The 
“ Fable” careers like an ice boat. Breezes fill the light sails as if toying 
with them, but the course is like lightning, and every movement answers to 
the touch of the helm. 

In 1849 Mr. Lowell’s poems were collected in two volumes. The “ Big¬ 
low Papers,” “A Fable for Critics,” and “A Year’s Life” were not included. 
In 1853, and for some years afterward, he was a frequent contributor to 
“ Putnam’s Monthly,” conducted by George William Curtis and Charles F. 
Briggs. Some of his finest productions, both in prose and verse, appeared in 
that brilliant periodical. In the winter of 1854-’55 he delivered a course of 
twelve lectures on English poetry in the Lowell Institute. 

It is probable that by this time our poet had begun to think of some 
connection with the university. The illustrious professor of belles-lettres, 
it was known, desired to retire from the chair, and public opinion pointed to 



294 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Lowell as a proper person for his successor. In the summer of 1855 Mr. 
Longfellow resigned, and Mr. Lowell was appointed in his place, with 
leave of absence for two years. He went to Europe to pursue his studies, 
and remained abroad, chiefly in Dresden, until the spring of 1857, when he 
returned and began his courses of lectures. 

The germs of his literary criticism are to be found in his “ Conversa¬ 
tions on the Poets,” published in his twenty-fifth year. The book is a valu¬ 
able part of his literary biography. The sentences give an impression of 
prolixity at first, not so much of words as of teeming, struggling thought. 

The volume “Fireside Travels” was published in 1864. The arti¬ 
cles were written when Lowell was thirty-four. “Fireside Travels,” among 
prose works, is the product of Lowell’s best days. Pages appear like the 
soil of hot-house beds, with thoughts serious, jocose, learned, allusive, sprout¬ 
ing everywhere. It does not matter where the reader opens for every sen¬ 
tence has some salient or recondite charm. 

In 1857 Lowell married Miss Frances Dunlap, of Portland, Maine. In 
the same year the “ Atlantic Monthly” was started by some of the leading 
authors of New England, and Lowell became editor-in-chief, a position held by 
him until 1862. The “ Monthly” was organized partly in the interest of the 
anti-slavery cause. Abraham Lincoln’s election to the presidency settled 
the controversy so far as ballots were concerned, and transferred the strug¬ 
gle to the battle-field. The success of his “ Biglow Papers, ” sent forth at 
the time of the Mexican war, led him to commence a second series shortly 
after the outbreak of the late war. The poems were all written in the Yan¬ 
kee dialect, and were unusually popular at the North. As different phases 
of the struggle were presented, they were caught up promptly by the poet 
and given in his inimitable style. 

The prose works of Lowell consist of the “Fireside Travels,” already 
referred to, and three volumes of essays, published in 1870, 1871, and 1876. 
Of these the one entitled “ My Study Windows ” will be found most interest¬ 
ing to general readers. The other two are entitled “ Among My Books,” and 
are of a purely literary character. A large number of his essays have ap¬ 
peared in magazines and reviews, and have not as yet been reprinted. 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD: 


295- 


These essays of Lowell (“ Among My Books,” two volumes, “ My Study 
Windows,” one volume) cover a wide range of thought and observation, but 
all have the inevitable family likeness. Mention has been made of “Fireside 
Travels. ” Of a similar tone are “ My Garden Acquaintance,” “ A Good Word 
for Winter,” and “On a Certain Condescension in Foreigners.'’ The last is 
a specimen of pure irony. “ New.England Two Centuries Ago,” is a power¬ 
ful historical article, in which the Puritans and Pilgrims are sketched. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lowell visited Europe in 1873. He had never held office, 
though he has always had a warm interest in public affairs. It was there¬ 
fore with gratification that his friends heard of his.appointment as minister 
to Spain. After the retirement of Mr. Welsh Mr. Lowell was transferred to 
London. His reception in the metropolis of letters has been in the highest 
degree flattering to him, and a matter of just pride to his countrymen. 

Lowell is great in prose, poetry and criticism, but his poems are the 
chief source of his fame. His serious poems are excellent, but as a humor¬ 
ist he appears at his best. He occupied a new field when he commenced 
the “ Biglow Papers,” and he cultivated the soil so as to bring it to its highest 
state of perfection. 

Lowell’s rank is securely placed among the master writers of the age. 
He died in Cambridge, Mass., August 12, 1891. 


LORD MACAULAY. 


Thomas Babington Macaulay was born at Rothley Temple, Leicester¬ 
shire, England, October 25, 1800. He died December 28, 1859, and was 
buried in Westminster Abbey, in Poets’ Corner, near the statue of Addison, 





296 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


on January 9, 1860. His early death was caused by derangement of the 
action of the heart. 

The ancestors of Lord Macaulay were long settled in the island of 
Lewis, Ross-shire. Zachary Macaulay (1768-1838), son of the Scottish 
minister, was sent when a boy to the West Indies. He was disgusted with 
the state of slavery in Jamaica, and afterward on his return to Great Britain, 
resided at Clapham, and became an active associate of Clarkson and Wilber- 
force. He married Selina, daughter of Mr. Thomas Mills, a bookseller in 
Bristol, and had, with other children, a son destined to take a high place 
among the statesmen, orators, essayists, and historians of England. 

Before he was eight years of age the boy had written a “Compendium 
of Universal History,” which gave a tolerably connected view of the leading 
events from the creation to 1800, and a romance in the style of Scott, in 
three cantos, called the “Battle of Cheviot.” At a little later time the child 
composed a long poem on the history of Olans Magnus, and a vast pile of 
blank verse entitled “Fingal, a Poem in Twelve Books.” At the age of 
twelve he was placed under the care of the Rev. Mr. Preston, first at Shel- 
ford, afterward near Buntingford, in the neighborhood of Cambridge. In his 
nineteenth year he was entered at Trinity College, Cambridge; he gained 
two prizes for English verse, one in 1819, on “Pompeii,” and one two years 
after on “Evening.” He gained the Craven scholarship in 1821, took his 
degree of B. A. in 1822, became Fellow of his college in 1824, and took his 
degree of M. A. in 1825. He had distinguished himself by contributions to 
“Knight’s Quarterly Magazine” in 1823 and 1824; and in August, 1825, 
appeared his celebrated article on Milton in the “Edinburgh Review.” 
Having studied at Lincoln’s Inn, Mr. Macaulay was called to the bar in 
1826, and joined the Northern Circuit. 

Three years afterward a distinguished Whig nobleman, the Marquis of 
Lansdowne, procured his return to parliament for the borough of Caine, and 
he rendered effective service in the Reform debates of 1831 and 1832. In 
1832 he was appointed Secretary to the Board oFControl, and the same year 
the citizens of Leeds returned him as their representative to the House of 
Commons. In 1834 he proceeded to India as legal advisor to the Supreme 







THOMAS B. MACAULAY. 


















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


297 


Council of Calcutta. He returned to England in 1838, and in the following 
year was returned to parliament for the city of Edinburgh, which he con¬ 
tinued to represent until 1847. In the Melbourne administration he held 
the office of Secretary of War, and in that of Lord John Russell, Paymaster 
of the Forces, with a seat in the cabinet. During this time he had written 
most of his essays, and published his “Lays of Ancient Rome.” His law 
practice did not amount to a scanty support; but on the previous year he 
had associated himself with the “Edinburgh Review” in a series of brilliant 
essays that attracted the attention of prominent members of the government. 
His speech at the anti-slavery meeting in 1824 was described by the “ Re¬ 
view” as a “display of eloquence of rare and matured excellence,” which 
greatly spread his fame. He had also gained great reputation as a conver¬ 
sationalist. 

Thus launched on the best that London had to give in the way of 
society, a commercial disaster overtook his father, in which the house of 
Babington & Macaulay lost its fortune of about £100,000. Our author 
was thus thrown wholly upon his own resources. His Trinity fellowship 
brought him £300 a year, but that expired in 1831. In 1828, however, he 
received temporary employment through an appointment as commissioner of 
bankruptcy, a position worth £400 per annum. A change in the ministry 
took this support from him in 1830. Macaulay now found himself a poor 
man, and was reduced to such straits that he had to sell his Cambridge gold 
medal. 

In February, 1830, the doors of the House of Commons were opened 
to him in the only way in which a man without a fortune could enter them, 
through what was then called a “pocket borough.” Lord Lansdowne, who 
had been struck by two articles on Mill (James) and the “ Utilitarians ’’which 
appeared in the “ Edinburgh Review” in 1829, offered the author the seat at 
Caine. The offer was accompanied by the express assurance that the noble 
patron had no wish to interfere with his freedom of voting. He thus entered 
parliament at one of the most exciting moments of English domestic history, 
when the compact phalanx of reactionary administration, which for nearly 
fifty years had commanded a crushing majority in the Commons, was on the 



298 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


point of being broken by the gro wing strength of the party of reform. Macau¬ 
lay made his maiden speech on the 5th of April, 1830, on the second reading 
of the bill for the removal of Jewish disabilities. In July the king died and 
parliament was dissolved; the revolution took place in Paris. Macaulay, 
who was again returned for Caine, visited Paris, eagerly enjoying a first taste 
of continental travel. On March 1, 1831, the Beform Bill was introduced, 
and on the second night of the debate Macaulay made the first of his reform 
speeches. It was a signal success. 

Encouraged by this first success, Macaulay now threw himself with 
ardor into the life of the House of Commons, while at the same time he con¬ 
tinued to enjoy to the full the social opportunities which his literary and 
political celebrity had placed within his reach. For these reasons he dined 
out almost nightly, and spent many of his Sundays at the suburban villas of 
the Whig leaders, while he continued to supply the “ Edinburgh Be view ” 
with a steady series of his most elaborate articles. On the triumph of Earl 
Grey’s cabinet and the passing of the Beform Act in June, 1832, Macaulay, 
whose eloquence had signalized every stage of the conflict, became one of the 
commissioners of the Board of Control, and applied himself to the study of 
[ndian affairs. His industry was untiring, and the amount of intellectual 
product which he threw off very great. Giving his days to India and his 
nights to the House of Commons, he could only devote a few hours to liter¬ 
ary composition by rising at five when the business of the House had allowed 
of his getting to bed in time on the previous evening. Between September, 
1831, and December, 1833, he furnished the “ Beview ” with the following 
articles: “Boswell’s Life of Johnson,” “Lord Nugent’s Hampden,” “Bur¬ 
leigh and his Times,” “M^rabeau,” “Horace Walpole,” “Lord Chatham,” 
besides writing his ballad on the Armada for one of the Albums, annual 
publications of miscellanies then in fashion. 

In the first reform parliament, January, 1833, Macaulay took his seat 
as one of the first two members for Leeds, which up to that date had been 
unrepresented in the House of Commons. He replied to O’Connell in the 
debate on the address, meeting the great agitator face to face with high, but 
not intemperate defiance. In July he defended the Government India Bill 



m the Literary World. 


290 


in a speech of great power, and to his aid was greatly due the getting the 
bill through the committee without unnecessary friction. When the abolition 
of slavery came before the house as a practical question, Macaulay had the 
prospect of being placed in the dilemma of having to surrender office or to 
vote for a modified abolition, viz., twelve years’ apprenticeship, which was 
proposed by the ministry, but condemned by the abolitionists. He was pre¬ 
pared to make the sacrifice of place rather than be unfaithful to the cause to 
which his father had devoted his life. He placed his resignation in Lord 
Althorp’s hands, and spoke against the ministerial proposal. But the sense 
of the House was so strongly expressed as unfavorable that, finding they 
would be beaten if they persisted, the ministry gave way and reduced 
apprenticeship to seven years, a compromise which the abolition party 
accepted, and Macaulay remained at the Board of Control. 

Macaulay’s reputation had reached a point where he could gain a sup¬ 
port either in politics or literature; and at the same time his family’s for¬ 
tunes had sunk so that it became necessary for him to provide a support for 
his sisters. The pay in literature did not seem to be as great as in politics, 
hence he decided to accept the offer made him of a seat in the supreme coun¬ 
cil of India, a body which had been created by the India Act he had himself 
been instrumental in passing. The salary of the office was fixed at £10,000, 
an income out of which he calculated to be able to save in five years a cap¬ 
ital of £30,000. His sister Hannah accepted his proposal to accompany 
him, and in February, 1834, the brother and sister sailed for Calcutta. Ma¬ 
caulay’s appointment to India occurred at the critical moment when the gov¬ 
ernment of the company was being superseded by government by the crown. 
His knowledge of India was, when he landed, but superficial. But at this 
juncture there was more need of statesmanship directed by general liberal 
principles than of a practical knowledge of the details of Indian administra¬ 
tion. Macaulay’s presence in the council was of great value; his minutes 
are models of good judgment and practical sagacity. The part he took in 
India has been described as “the application of sound liberal principles to a 
government which had till then been jealous, close and repressive.” He vin¬ 
dicated the liberty of the press; he maintained the equality of Europeans and 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


£A0 


natives before the law; and as president of the committee of public instruc¬ 
tion he inaugurated that system of national education which has since spread 
over the whole of the Indian peninsula. 

Macaulay was also appointed president of a commission to inquire into 
the jurisprudence of England’s eastern empire. His work was performed 
with eminent ability. The penal code which he sketched, and which was 
afterward completed by the aid of others, has been a practical success. His 
manners called out the ill-will of local English societies, but he met all efforts 
at political detraction by -turning his thoughts to literature. He writes to 
his friend Ellis, “ I have gone back to Greek literature with a passion aston¬ 
ishing to myself. I have never felt anything like it. I was enraptured with 
Italian during the six months which I gave up to it; and I was little less 
pleased with Spanish. But when I went back to Greek I felt as if I had 
never known before what intellectual enjoyment was.” In thirteen months 
he read through, some of them twice, a large part of the Greek and Latin 
classics. The attention with which he read is proved by the pencil marks 
and corrections of press errors which he left on the margin of the volumes he 
used. 

The fascination of these studies produced their inevitable effect upon 
his view of political life. He began to wonder what strange infatuation 
leads men who can do something better to squander their intellect, their 
health, and energy on such subjects as those which most statesmen are 
engaged in pursuing. He was already, he says, “more than half deter¬ 
mined to abandon politics, and give myself wholly to letters, to undertake 
some great historical work, which may be at once the business and amuse¬ 
ment of my life, and to leave the pleasures of pestiferous rooms, sleepless 
nights, and diseased stomachs to Boebuck and to Praed.” 

He and his sister, now Lady Trevelyan, returned to England in 1838, and 
Macaulay entered parliament as a member from Edinburgh. In 1839 he 
took a seat in the cabinet in Lord Melbourne’s ministry, as secretary of war. 
This position compelled him to delay his great historical work for two years, 
when he was freed from office by the fall of Melbourne’s ministry. In 1846 
he accepted the position of paymaster of the forces under the administration 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


SOI 


of Lord John Bussell. Within this time he had written his “Lays of 
Ancient Borne,” one of his most popular volumes. To the neglect of politics 
he was working most earnestly upon his “ History.” In the sessions of 
1846-’47 he spoke only five times, and at the general election of July, 1847, 
he lost his seat for Edinburgh upon issues which did not reflect credit upon 
that constituency. Over and above any political disagreement with the con¬ 
stituency, there was the fact that the balance of Macaulay’s faculties had 
now passed to the side of literature. Lord Cockburn wrote in 1846: “The 
truth is, Macaulay, with all his knowledge, talent, eloquence and worth, is 
not popular. He cares more for his 4 History ’ than for the jobs of constitu¬ 
ents, and answers letters irregularly and with a brevity deemed contemptu¬ 
ous. ” At an earlier date he had relished crowds and the excitement of ever 
new faces; as years went forward and absorption in the work of composi¬ 
tion took off the edge of his spirits, he recoiled from publicity. He began to 
regard the prospect of business as worry, and had no longer the nerve to 
brace himself to the social efforts required of one who represents a large 
constituency. 

Macaulay retired into private life, not only without regret, but with a sense 
of relief. He gradually withdrew from general society, feeling the bore of 
big dinners, and country-house visits, but he still enjoyed close and constant 
intercourse with a circle of the most eminent men that London then con¬ 
tained. At that time social breakfasts were in vogue. Macaulay himself 
preferred this to any other form of entertainment. Of these brilliant reunions 
nothing has been preserved beyond the names of the men who formed them, 
—Kogers, Hallam, Sydney Smith, Lord Carlisle, Lord Stanhope, Nassau 
Senior, Charles Greville, Milman, Panizzi, Lewis, Van de Weyer. His biog¬ 
rapher thus describes Macaulay’s appearance and bearing in conversation: 
“ Sitting bolt upright, his hands resting on the arms of his chair, or folded 
over the handle of his walking stick, knitting his eyebrows if the subject was 
one to be thought out as he went along, or brightening from the forehead down¬ 
ward when a burst of humor was coming, his massive features and honest 
glance suited well with the manly, sagacious sentiments which he set forth in 
his sonorous voice and in his racy and intelligible language. To get at his 




302 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


meaning people had never the need to think twice, and they certainly had 
seldom the time.” 

But, great as was his enjoyment of literary society and books, they 
only formed his recreation. In these years he was working with unflagging 
industry at the composition of his “ History.” His composition was slow, 
his corrections, both of matter and style, endless; he spared no research to 
ascertain the facts. He sacrificed to the prosecution of his task a political 
career, House of Commons fame, the allurements of society. The first two 
volumes of the “History of England” appeared in December, 1848. The 
success was in every way complete beyond expectation. The sale of edition 
after edition, both in England and the United States, was enormous. In 1852 
when his party returned to power, he refused a seat in the cabinet, but he 
accepted a seat in parliament from Edinburgh. This was a complimentary 
amende paid by Edinburgh for his former defeat. But as his strength was 
diminishing, he only spoke once in parliament, preferring to save his small 
stock of force for the completion of his great work. In 1857 his eminent 
ability was recognized by his elevation to the peerage of Great Britain under 
the title of Baron Macaulay of Bothley. 

In 1855 volumes three and four of the “ History” appeared. No work, 
not being one of amusement, has in our day reached a circulation so vast. 
During the year ending June 25,1857, the publisher sent out more than 30,000 
copies of volume one; in the next nine years more than 50,000 copies of the 
same volume, and in the nine years ending with June, 1875, more than 
52,000 copies. Within a generation of its first appearance upward of 
140,000 copies of the “History” will have been printed and sold in the 
United Kingdom alone. In the United States no book except the Bible ever 
had such a sale. On the continent of Europe the sale of Tauchnitz editions 
was very large, a sale which did not prevent six rival translations in German. 
The “ History ” has been published in the Polish, Danish, Swedish, Hunga¬ 
rian, Russian, Bohemian, Italian, French, Dutch, and Spanish languages. 
Flattering marks of respect were heaped upon the author by the foreign acad¬ 
emies. His pecuniary profits were on a scale commensurate with the repu- 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


303 


tation of the book; the cheque for J>20,000 has become a landmark in liter¬ 
ary history. 

His health failed rapidly, hence he shortened the plan of his work to 
the reign of Queen Anne. Although “ he brought down the narrative to the 
death of William III, the last half volume wants the finish and completeness 
of the earlier portions.” In 1859 “ he fell asleep and woke not again.” 

Macaulay never married, but his strong domestic affections found sat¬ 
isfaction in the attachment and sympathy of his sister, whose children were to 
him as his own. His life was eminently happy. He was profoundly versed 
in literature. Each item of information, as he acquired it, was properly 
labeled and stored away in the chambers of the mind, where he could reach 
it readily whenever needed for use. “ His literary outfit was as complete as 
has ever been possessed by any English writer. Nor was the knowledge 
merely stored in his memory; it was always at his command. Whatever 
his subject, he pours over it his stream of illustration, drawn from the records 
of all ages and countries. Figures from history, ancient and modern, sacred 
and secular; characters from plays and novels, from Plautus down to Wal¬ 
ter Scott and Jane Austen; images and similes from poets of every age and 
nation; shrewd thrusts from satirists, wise saws from sages, pleasantries, 
caustic or prophetic, from humorists,—all these fill Macaulay’s pages with the 
bustle and variety of some glittering masque and cosmoramic revel of great 
books and heroical men. His style is before all else the style of great literary 
knowledge.” His “Essays” are not merely instructive as history; they are, 
like Milton’s blank verse, freighted with the spoils of all ages. They are lit¬ 
erature as well as history. In their diversified contents the “ Essays ” are a 
library by themselves; for those who, having little time for study, want one 
book which may be a substitute for many, we should recommend the “ Essays” 
in preference to anything else. 

His composition is a model of rhetorical excellence. Were it not for 
the great knowledge displayed, we should weary with the excessive beauty 
of his diction. But the array of thoughts keeps up the charm, while the 
splendor and perfection of style lure us on to the close of his page. 

Macaulay’s works have been collected by his sister, and published in 
15 



304 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


eight volumes. The first four are occupied by the “ Historythe next three 
contain the “ Essays” and the “Lives” which he contributed to the “ Ency¬ 
clopaedia Britannica;” and the last contains his “Speeches,” “The Lays of 
Ancient Rome,” and some miscellaneous pieces. His diary still remains in 
manuscript in the hands of his family. 


HORACE MAM. 


Horace Mann was born in Franklin, Massachusetts, May 4, 1796, and 
died at Yellow Springs, Ohio, August 2, 1859. 

His father was a farmer of limited means, but possessing a just appre¬ 
ciation of the advantages of an education. Like Burns’ parents, his fathei 
gave the encouragement of words and advice, which, in the majority of cases, 
is worth more than the encouragement of money. 

His education was continued in district schools till he was twenty years 
of age, when he fitted himself to enter Brown University, at Providence, 
Rhode Island. Mann’s college life was one of steady, solid work, and in 
1819 he graduated with honor and with a thorough mastery of the subjects 
studied. The theme of his graduating oration, “ The Progressive Character 
of the Human Race, ” foreshadowed his future career. Having graduated he 
became tutor of Latin and Greek in Brown University, a position he finally 
left to study law. He took a legal course of study in Litchfield, Connecticut, 
law school, where he was admitted to the bar in 1823. Mann then opened 
an office in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he gained considerable reputation 
as an advocate. His ability gained a ready recognition, but his heart seemed 
set upon educational matters. 

In 1827 he was elected to the legislature of his State, and continued to 
be returned by large majorities as a representative from Pedham till 1833, 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


305 


when he removed to Boston, and entered into partnership with Edward G. 
Loring. At the first election after he became a citizen of Boston, he was 
chosen a member of the State senate, and by re-elections was continued a 
senator for four years. In 1836 and again in 1837 he was president of the sen¬ 
ate. While in the legislature he was a member and for part of the time 
chairman of the committee for the revision of the statutes; and a large num¬ 
ber of most salutary provisions were incorporated in the code at his Sugges¬ 
tion. After the revised statutes were enacted, he was appointed, in conjunc¬ 
tion with Judge Metcalf, to edit the work, for which he prepared the 
marginal notes and the references to judicial decisions. 

At the organization of the Massachusetts board of education, June 30, 
1837, he was elected its secretary, and for the next eleven years was annually 
re-elected. He introduced a thorough reform in the school system of the 
state; extensive changes in the law relating to schools were adopted; nor¬ 
mal schools were established; school committees were paid; a system of 
county educational conventions was instituted; by means of “ school regis¬ 
ters ” the actual condition of the schools was ascertained; and from the 
detailed reports of the school committees the secretary made valuable ab¬ 
stracts, which he embodied in his annual reports, forming several large vol¬ 
umes. In 1843 he visited Europe under the auspices of the board, but at 
his own expense, to examine schools and obtain such information as could 
be made available at home. His seventh annual report, made on his return, 
embodied the results of his tour. Many editions were printed, not only in 
Massachusetts, but in other states, sometimes by order of legislatures, some¬ 
times by private individuals, and several editions were printed in England. 

The “Common School Journal,” which he edited, and much of which 
he wrote, consists of ten volumes, 8vo. He published a volume of lectures 
on education at the request of the board. He traveled over the state every 
year to hold conventions or teachers’ institutes, at which he often taught 
during the day and lectured in the evening. From the above outline it 
must appear that Horace Mann was one of the most earnest and effective 
school workers the world has ever produced. He gave to Massachusetts her 



306 


(N THE LITERARY WORLD. 


favorable standing in educational matters, and much of the school systems 
of other states is the outgrowth of his work. 

In the spring of 1848 the circle of his labor was enlarged by his elec¬ 
tion to Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Quincy 
Adams. He took hold of the duties of the new office with a strong hand. 
On June 30th he made his first speech in maintenance of the right of Con¬ 
gress to legislate for the territories of the United States, and its duties to 
exclude slavery therefrom. 

In 1852 he was the candidate, of the Free Soil party for governor of 
Massachusetts, but failed in the election. On the day that he was nom¬ 
inated for governor he was also chosen president of Antioch College, a new 
institution just established at Yellow Springs, Green County, Ohio. He at 
once entered upon the work of building up the new college. The same zeal 
and intelligence that had characterized his labors in other fields were mani¬ 
fested at Antioch; and the institution became a powerful auxiliary to the 
educational interests of Ohio and the West. The college was carried through 
the pecuniary and other difficulties incident to a new school of the kind, and 
he satisfied himself and the public that a college for the common education 
of both sexes is entirely practicable. His annual reports became model 
school documents, and his lectures and controversial writings became the 
standard educational literature of the land. His lectures on education were 
translated into French by Eugene de Guer, in 1873, with a biographical 
sketch by Laboulaye. 

His published works, besides those mentioned, are, “A Few Thoughts 
for a Young Man,” which appeared in 1850; “Slavery: Letters and 
Speeches,” 1851; “ Lectures on Intemperance,” 1852; “Powers and Duties 
of Women,” 1853. His wife, Mary Peabody Mann, published the “Life of 
Horace Mann” in 1865. “Mann’s Life and Works” appeared in two 
volumes at Cambridge in 1867, and “Thoughts selected from the Writings of 
Horace Mann,” in 1869. 

His style is very impressive and his diction is pure and elevated. His 
numerous illustrative paragraphs are aptly drawn,—are powerful and grand 




In the literary world. 


in their descriptions. His sentences have become proverbs in popular quo¬ 
tations, as may be illustrated in a few short examples. 

“ Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden, 
hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they 
are gone forever. 

“ Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and it becomes so 
strong we cannot break it. 

“Affectation hides three times as many virtues as charity does sins. 

“It is well to think well. It is divine to act well.” 

His works should form a part of every library, as well for the purity 
ot their style as for their noble and practical thoughts. 


JOHNT MILTOK 


John Milton, the greatest English poet since Shakespeare, was born 
in London December 9, 1608, and he died on Sunday, November 8, 1674. 

His father, Mr. John Milton, removed to London about 1586, where 
he lived for some time as a teacher of music. Later he opened an office 
on Bread Street, where, as scrivener, he drew up wills, marriage settlements 
and like legal documents, and received money from his clients for invest¬ 
ment. He was known as a man of ingenious tastes, and he gained con¬ 
siderable reputation in London for his contributions to important musical 
publications. The father prospered so well in his work that he was enabled 
to give his children the advantages of the best school training. 

Music was made a part of the education of the poet from his infancy. 
But three of six children survived—our poet, an elder sister, Anne, and 
Christopher, the youngest of the family. John Milton’s domestic tutor was 
Thomas Young, afterward noted among the English Puritan clergy. At the 





308 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


age of ten, in addition to his private instruction, Milton attended at St, 
Paul’s public schools, near his home. Here his teacher was Alexander 
Gill, an Oxford divine of high reputation. In 1624-’25, at the age of 
sixteen, Milton entered Christ’s College, Cambridge. Milton had ample 
opportunity for the study of Latin and Greek, and to be thoroughly drilled 
in logic and philosophy. In 1630 his brother Christopher joined him in 
college. Milton’s academic course lasted about seven and one-half years, 
when, at the age of twenty-four, he completed his course and took liis M. A. 
degree. At the age of twenty he had taken the degree of B. A. The 
independence and spirit of Milton led him into a quarrel with his tutor, in 
the second year of his academic course. The master, Dr. Bainbridge, 
interfered, whereupon Milton left school for a time. Later a compromise 
was effected by which the youth returned and was placed under the tutorship 
of Nathaniel Tovey. His independent demeanor made him unpopular with 
the younger men of the college. He was nicknamed “ The Lady, ” and was 
known among the students of the other branches of the university as “ The 
Lady of Christ’s College.” Before leaving college, however, John Milton 
held the fullest respect of all, and his intellectual pre-eminence was acknowl¬ 
edged by all. With a certain degree of self-esteem, he was not ignorant “ of 
his own parts, ” and he anticipated his possibilities. He had gone through 
the prescribed work with exceptional applause, and to the regular Latin and 
Greek he had added a knowledge of French, Italian and Hebrew. He 
returned to his father’s home, where he spent five years in studying classical 
literature. Thus with rare mental powers well trained, health, beauty and 
grace of person, Milton stepped into the literary arena there to contend with 
Shakespeare for the mastery of the English tongue. At the age of thirty he 
started for a tour on the continent. While abroad he formed many valuable 
acquaintances, and his society was courted by the choicest Italian wits. He 
visited the great Galileo, then a prisoner of the Inquisition. 

Upon the breaking out of the Civil War, Milton returned home and 
espoused the cause of the Puritans. He was made Latin secretary on a 
salary of <£300 per annum, and his pen did excellent service for Cromwell. 
Upon the Bestoration Milton was forced into retirement, where he pursued 




JOHN MILTON 

















In the literary world. 


3ii 


his studies and won an immortal literary fame, both in his poetic and prose 
writings. 

His “ Mask of Comus ” is a play partially in imitation of Shakespeare’s 
style. It contains, also, traces of Beaumont and Fletcher’s style. “ Samson 
Agonistes ” is a dramatic poem of merit. “ L’Allegro ” and “ II Penseroso ” 
are excellent poems, the former a cheerful, merry man, and the latter a 
thoughtful, melancholy man. His numerous shorter “Poems,” “Sonnets” 
and “Psalms” are full of merit, but we turn to “Paradise Lost,” published 
in 1669, as his greatest poem. Next to the poems of Homer and Virgil this 
is the greatest poem of its kind produced in any age. “Paradise Regained” 
followed in due time. For his great master piece he received only about 
fifteen pounds. In addition to his poetical works he produced powerful 
tracts, essays and books in prose. The best of these is his “ Areopagitica, 
a Plea for Unlicensed Printing.” His other prose writings were mainly 
upon political and church matters, and a strong discussion of the question 
of divorces. 

Milton’s diction is peculiarly rich and pictorial in effect. In force and 
dignity he towers over all his contemporaries. He is of no class of poets; 
“his soul was like a star and dwelt apart.” The style of Milton’s verse was 
moulded on classic models, chiefly the Greek tragedians, but his musical 
tastes, his love of Italian literature, and the lofty and solemn cast of his 
own mind, gave strength and harmony to the whole. His minor poems 
alone would have rendered his name immortal, but there still wanted his 
great epic to complete the measure of his fame and the glory of his country.” 

Milton’s prose style is lofty, clear, vigorous, expressive, and frequently 
adorned with profuse and glowing imagery. “It is to be regretted, says 
Lord Macaulay, “that the prose writings of Milton should in our time be so 
little read. As compositions, they deserve the attention of every man who 
wishes to become acquainted with the full power of the English language. 
They abound with passages compared with which the finest declamations, of 
Burke sink into insignificance. They are a perfect field of cloth of gold. 
The style is stiff with gorgeous embroidery. Not even in the earlier books 
of ‘Paradise Lost’ has he ever risen higher than in those parts of his contro- 



312 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


versial works in which his feelings, excited by conflict, find a vent in bursts 
of devotional and lyric rapture. It is, to borrow his own majestic language, 
•a seven-fold chorus of hallelujahs and harping symphonies.’” 

In 1643 Milton married Mary Powell, but within a month she left 
him. Her parents were strong Eoyalists and Milton was a Eepublican, 
hence the separation. Later she returned, and although his tracts on divorce 
had been published with the intention of repudiating her, yet, like his own 
Adam, “he was fondly overcome with female charm, ” and received her as 
his wife. In 1652 his wife died. He was married twice after this. Milton 
was blind—“dark, dark, irrecoverably dark”—in 1652, and his “Paradise 
Lost” was not begun till 1658, hence his most important literary work was 
done while he was blind. His daughters, wife and visiting friends rendered 
him valuable aid in writing while he composed. A neat monument, lately 
erected to perpetuate his memory, now marks his resting place near St. 
Giles’ church. Dryden passes his opinion of Milton by associating him with 
Homer and Virgil in the following lines: 

“Three poets in three distant ages born, 

Greece, Italy and England did adorn; 

The first in loftiness of thought surpassed, 

The next in majesty, in both the last. 

The force of Nature could no further go; 

To make a third she joined the former two.” 


D. G. MITCHELL. 


Donald Gkant Mitchell was born in Norwich, Connecticut, *in April, 

1822. 

He entered Yale College from which he graduated in 1841. He then 







DONALD G. MITCHELL 








































' 




























































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


315 


enriched his mind by traveling in Europe. Returning to this country, he 
studied law in New York. 

Mitchell commenced his career as an author in 1847 by the publication 
of “Fresh Gleanings, or a New Sheaf from the Old Fields of Continental 
Europe.” This work appeared under the assumed name of “Ik Marvel,’ 
a name well known to the literary public. Again in Europe, in 1848, he 
wrote “The Battle Summer,” which was published in New York in 1849. 
In 1850 he published a satirical work in two volumes, entitled “The 
Lorgnette.” The work appeared anonymously. In the same year appeared 
“The Reveries of a Bachelor, by Ik Marvel,” which was regarded as one of 
his best volumes. Indeed, it is one of the most entertaining books in the 
English language. “Dream-Life” followed in 1851. By this time Mitchell s 
reputation was thoroughly established, and he was regarded as one of the 
most popular of American writers. 

In 1853 he became United States consul at Venice, a position he filled 
with ability till in 1855, when he returned to his ovyn country. He immedi¬ 
ately removed to his farm near New Haven, which he named “Edgewood.” 
This delightful retreat has been his home ever since, and from this place 
have gone forth several of his best works. In 1869 “The Hearth and Home,” 
a New York weekly, was established, and Mitchell assisted as one of its editors 
for several years. He has been before the public for many years as a public 
lecturer, in which field he has won an enviable reputation. 

In 1854 appeared “Fudge Doings” in two volumes; 1863, “My Farm 
of Edgewood;” 1864, “Wet Days at Edgewood;” also, in 1864, “Seven 
Stories, with Basement and Attic;” 1866, “Doctor Johns,” in two volumes; 
1867, “Rural Studies:” 1869, “Pictures of Edgewood.” 

Donald G. Mitchell’s style is noted for its grace and beauty. His 
word-pictures, especially in “The Reveries,” are charming. Having com¬ 
menced one of his sketches, the reader cannot lay the book aside till he has 
finished reading it. His knowledge of human nature is such that his writ¬ 
ings seem personal to each reader. You feel as if Mitchell were acquainted 
with you and knew your history, else he could not have said so many things 
that seem to apply to your life, or that you have realized in your own 



:fi6 IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


experiences. Then what he says is presented in a manner so natural and so 
graceful that the reader is captivated by the manner as much as by the mat¬ 
ter of his writings. Another attractive feature in Mitchell’s books is the 
purity of sentiment—the absence of everything low, mean, or morally 
unhealthy. His humor is not boisterous, but is mellowed into a rich and 
delicate hue that makes all his works lively and interesting and instructive. 
If the reader cannot obtain all of Mitchell’s works, he should at least get 
“The Reveries of a Bachelor” and “Dream-Life” and read them. If he 
loves beauty and grace and naturalness of style he must be charmed even to 
a second and a third reading of these works. Mitchell deserves to rank as 
one of the most delightful writers of the national period of our literature. 


JOAQUIN MILLER 


Joaquin Miller, whose real name is Cincinnatus Hiner Miller, was 
born in Indiana, November 10, 1841. 

Mr. Miller is an excellent example of a self-made man. His writings 
fell into poetic measure even before he became acquainted with the laws of 
versification or the rules of grammar. Without the refinement of classic 
culture he has yet gained an enviable reputation both in the New and Old 
World. 

When he was about eleven years old his father emigrated to Oregon. 
Three years later the boy went to California to seek his fortune. His verses 
at this time attracted some attention although they betrayed an utter lack 
of school training. He wandered about for some time, then returned home 
in 1860 and commenced the study of law at Eugene, Oregon. In the suc¬ 
ceeding year he became express messenger in the gold-mining district of 
Idaho. This position he soon relinquished to take charge of the “Demo- 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


317 


cratic Register.” For its political sentiments this paper was suppressed 
during the late war, whereupon Miller opened a law office in Canon City, 
Oregon, in 1863. From his experiences and study his mind had become 
thoroughly disciplined, and his style had become polished and refined. 

In 1866 he was elected judge of Grant County, a position he held till 
in 1870. In this period he commenced to write poetry which at once became 
popular in his locality. He first published a volume of his verses in paper 
cover, under the title of “Specimens.” His next volume appeared with the 
title “Joaquin et al.,” from which he derived the name by which he is most 
popularly known. In 1870 he was divorced from his wife whom he had 
married in 1863. He immediately started for London, where, in 1871, he pub¬ 
lished his “Songs of the Sierras.” The subject of the book and the attract¬ 
ive manner in which the songs were given made the work deservedly popular, 
and gained a favorable poetic standing for the author. In 1872 appeared 
“Songs of the Sun Lands;” and in 1873 a prose volume entitled “Life 
among the Modocs: Unwritten History. ” These volumes showed excellent 
literary ability and were very favorably received. He has also published 
“ The Ship in the Desert. ” Perhaps his most popular individual poems 
are “The Isles of the Amazons,” the “The Arizonian,” and “Burns and 
Byron. ” 

“ Mr. Miller’s poems are often unnatural and extravagant, but there is 
in them a certain wild freedom and passion in perfect keeping with the life 
and scenery from which he drew his inspiration with a tropical richness of 
imagery and an almost cloying sweetness of rhythm and rhyme.” 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Bid 


THOMAS MOOBE. 


Thomas Moore was born at Dublin, Ireland, May 28, 1779, and his 
brilliant career was brought to a close by his death, February 26, 1852. 

His father was a Dublin grocer of respectability. We have no account 
of Moore’s early life except that given by himself. He was born in the pre¬ 
scribed sect of Catholics, whose exclusion from the society of the castle produced 
a closer union among their varied ranks, and thus, from the first, Moore was 
no stranger to the more refined gayeties of social intercourse. It was, upon 
the whole, a gay life in Catholic society, though the conspiracy of the United 
Irishmen was being quietly formed beneath the surface. Amateur theatric¬ 
als was one of their favorite diversions, and gifts of reciting and singing 
were not likely to die for want of applause. Moore’s school-master was a 
leader in these entertainments, a writer of prologues and epilogues and inci¬ 
dental songs, and at a very early age Master Thomas Moore was one of his 
show boys, ardently encouraged in all his exercises by a very affectionate 
mother at home. Before he left school he had acquired fame in his own 
circle as a song writer, and had published in the “ Anthologia Hibernica, ” 
verses “ To Zelia, on her charging the author with writing too much on love.” 
This was in 1793. In that year the prohibition against Catholics entering 
Trinity College was removed, and the next year Moore took advantage of the 
new freedom. As one of the first Catholic entrants, he had an exceptional 
stimulus to work, and there industriously acquired a classical scholarship. 

He crossed St. George’s Channel in 1799, to study law in the Middle 
Temple, carrying with him a translation of the Odes of Anacreon,” which 
he wished to publish by subscription. In a very short time he had enrolled 
half the fashionable world among his subscribers, and had obtained the permis- 






















































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


321 


sion of the Prince of Wales to dedicate the work to him. The mere power of 
writing graceful and fluent amatory verses would not alone have enabled the poet 
to work this miracle. Moore’s social gifts were of the most engaging kind. He 
charmed all whom he met, and charmed them, though he was not a trained 
musician, with nothing more than with his singing of his own songs. The 
piano and not the harp, was his instrument, but he came nearer than any¬ 
body else in modern times to Bishop Percy’s romantic conception of the 
minstrel. 

In 1800 we find Moore a leading element in London society. The rul¬ 
ing aspiration of his life seemed to be the hope of applause. He could not 
bear the shortest banishment from fashionable drawing-rooms without uneasy 
longings. If prudence whispered that he was frittering away his time and 
dissipating his energies, he persuaded himself that his conduct was thoroughly 
worthy of a solid man of business; that to get a lucrative appointment from 
his political friends he must keep himself in evidence, and that to make his songs 
sell he must give them a start with his own voice. But his mind was seemingly 
not much troubled either with sordid care or with sober prudence; he lived 
in the happy present, and he liked fashionable society for its own sake,—and 
no wonder, seeing how he was petted, caressed, and admired. Through Lord 
Moira’s influence he was appointed registrar of the admiralty court in Ber¬ 
muda in 1803. He went there to take possession, but four or five months of 
West India society, jingling piano-fortes, and dusky beauties bored him exces¬ 
sively, and he appointed a deputy and returned to London, after little more 
than a year’s absence. The office continued to bring him about £400 a year 
for fourteen or fifteen years, but at the end of that time embezzlement by the 
deputy, for whom he was responsible, involved him in serious embarrass¬ 
ment. This was the only political patronage Moore ever received. He 
sought position, but failing to get anything desirable, he was forced to settle 
down to literature as a profession. 

In 1801 he ventured on a volume of original verse, many of the poems 
having been written before he was eighteen. The work appeared under the 
assumed name of “ Thomas Little,”—referring to his diminutive stature. In 




322 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


after years he was ashamed of this work of his youth, but much of these early 
writings proved to be excellent. 

He seems to have spent a good deal of tim6 in the libraries of the 
great houses that he frequented; Moira, Lansdowne, and Holland were all 
scholarly men and book-collectors. It might be asked,—What had “pas¬ 
sion’s warmest child,” whose “ only books were woman’s looks,” to do 
with obscure mediaeval epigrammatists, theologians and commentators? 
But it would seem that Moore took the hints for many of his lyrics from 
books, and, knowing the great wealth of fancy among mediaeval Latinists, 
turned often to them as likely quarters in which to find some happy word¬ 
play or image that might serve as a motive for his muse. The public, of course, 
was concerned with the product and not with the process of manufacture, 
and “ Little’s ” songs at once became the rage in every drawing-room. 

In 1806 he published two volumes of “Odes and Epistles,” written 
mostly in Bermuda. The “ Edinburgh ” contained a savage review of this 
publication, by Jeffrey. The criticism so aroused Moore that he challenged 
Jeffrey to fight a duel. But as an illustration of our author’s impressive per¬ 
sonality, we call attention to the fact that a few minutes’ conversation with 
Jeffrey changed a bitter critic to a life-long friend. However, Jeffrey had 
praised his satirical epistles, and Moore continued the vein of the epistles in 
“ Corruption” and “ Intolerance ” in 1808, and the “ Skeptic,” a philosoph¬ 
ical satire, 1809. About this time he undertook a work that was per¬ 
fectly suited to his powers. The publisher, Power, engaged him to write 
words for a collection of “ Irish Melodies.” The first number appeared in 
1807, and it proved so successful that for the next twenty-seven years writing 
words for music was Moore’s steadfast source of income, Power paying him 
£500 per annum. Six numbers of “Irish Melodies” were published before 
1815; then they turned to sacred songs and national airs, issuing also four 
more numbers of “Irish Melodies” before 1834. The most characteristic 
moods of Irish feeling, grave and gay, plaintive and stirring, were embodied in 
these airs, and their variety touched the whole range of Moore’s sensitive epirit. 
Divorced from the music, many of them are insipid enough, but they were 
never meant to be divorced from the music; the music was meant, as Cole- 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


323 


ridge felt when he heard them sung by the poet himself, to twine round them 
and overtop them like the honeysuckle. 

Since all hope of office had deserted him, he commenced to write 
political squibs. Feeling that the prince regent, to whom he had dedicated 
his first volume, was the cause of his failure to secure political advancement, 
Moore opened fire upon his highness. The prince’s defects and foibles, his 
fatness, his huge whiskers, his love for cutlets and curacoa, and practical 
jokes, were ridiculed with the lightest of clever hands. Moore opened fire 
in the “Morning Chronicle,” and crowned his success next year (1813) with 
a thin volume of “Intercepted Letters, The Two-penny Post Bag.” A very 
little knowledge of the gossip of the time enables us to understand the delight 
with which Moore s sallies were received in the year which witnessed the im¬ 
prisonment of Leigh Hunt for more outspoken attacks on the regent. Moore 
received every encouragement to work the new vein. He was at one time in 
receipt of a regular salary from the “Times;” and his little volumes of 
squibs published at intervals—“The Fudge Family in Paris,” 1818; “The 
Journal of a Member of the Procurate Society,” 1820; “Fables for the Holy 
Alliance,” 1823; “Odes on Cash, Corn, Catholics and Other Matters,” 1828; 
“The Fudges in England,” 1835—went through many editions. The prose 
“Memoirs of Captain Rock,” 1824, may be added to the list. 

“Lalla Rookh” appeared in 1817. Moore, as was his habit, made most 
laborious preparation, reading himself slowly into familiarity with Eastern 
scenery and manners. He retired to a cottage in Derbyshire, near Lord Moira’s 
library at Donington Park, that he might work uninterruptedly, safe from 
the distractions of London society; and there, “amid the snows of a Derby¬ 
shire winter,” as he put it, he patiently elaborated his voluptuous pictures 
of flower-scented valleys, gorgeous gardens, tents and palaces, and houris of 
ravishing beauty. Moore’s contemporaries were dazzled and enchanted with 
“Lalla Rookh.” There was not a single image or allusion in it that an 
ordinary Englishman could understand without a foot-note. High testi¬ 
monies were borne to the correctness of the local coloring, and the usual 
stories circulated of Oriental natives who would not believe that Moore had 
never traveled in the East. And for more than twenty years his promise 






324 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


to write would secure almost any amount of money in advance. The 
“Loves of the Angels,” another Orientalism none the less popular than 
“ Lalla Rookh,” appeared in 1822. For a short time Moore lived in Paris, 
whither he was forced to go to avoid arrest for the sum embezzled by his 
deputy, at Bermuda. His friends came forward with the necessary money to 
settle the matter and give Moore time to pay it from the sales of his books. 
In June, 1822, the sales from “Loves of the Angels” netted him £1,000, 
and “Fables for the Holy Alliance” £500, thus paying in full for the deputy’s 
rascality. While abroad he visited Lord Byron at Venice, and the last 
named work was written while he was with Byron. 

Upon returning to England he engaged to write political squibs for the 
“Times” at a salary of £400. He published “Captain Rock and his latest 
imaginative work, “The Epicurean, an Eastern tale in prose. Moore com¬ 
pleted his “Memoirs of Sheridan” in 1825, “Life of Lord Byron,” in two 
volumes, in 1830, and “Memoirs of Lord Edward Fitzgerald,” 1831. In 
1833 his political friends secured him a pension of £300, that he might 
spend his remaining days in comparative comfort. 

It was a misfortune for the comfort of the last twenty years of Moore’s 
life that he allowed himself to be drawn into the project of writing the 
“History of Ireland” in “Lardner’s Cyclopedia.” Scott and Mackintosh 
scribbled off the companion volumes on Scotland and England with very 
little trouble, but Moore had neither their historical training nor their 
dispatch in writing. Laborious conscientiousness and indecision are a fatal 
combination for a man who undertakes a new kind of task late in life. 
The history sat like a nightmare on Moore for fifteen years, and after 
all was left unfinished on the melancholy collapse of his powers in 1845. 
From the time that he burdened himself with it Moore did very little else, 
beyond a few occasional squibs and songs, the last flashes of his genius, and 
the “Travels of -an Irish Gentleman in Search of a Religion,” although he 
had tempting offers uf more lucrative, and, it might have been thought, more 
congenial work. Moore’s character had a deeper manliness and sincerity^ 
than he often gets credit for; and his tenacious persistence in this, his last 
task, was probably due to an honorable ambition to connect himself as a 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


325 


benefactor with the history of his country by opening the eyes of the English 
people to the misgovernment of Ireland. 

Upon the death of his last child in 1845 Moore became a total wreck, 
but he lingered along till 1852, when the once prime favorite of London and 
deeply beloved benefactor of Ireland passed to his rest. 

He kept an extensive diary to bepublished upon his death, for the ben¬ 
efit of his wife. The work, extending to eight volumes, was published in 
1852-’56, from which Mrs. Moore received ^£3,000. 

One effect of the genius of Moore has been to elevate the feelings and 
occurrences of ordinary life into poetry, rather than dealing with the lofty, 
abstract elements of the art. The combinations of his wit are wonderful. 
Quick, subtle, and varied, ever suggesting new thoughts or images, or unex¬ 
pected turns of expression—now drawing resources from classical literature 
or the ancient fathers—now diving into the human heart, and now skim¬ 
ming the fields of fancy—the wit or imagination of Moore (for they are com¬ 
pounded together) is a true Ariel, “a creature of the elements,” that is ever 
buoyant and full of life and spirit. His very satires “give delight and hurt 
not.” They are never coarse, and always witty. When stung by an act of 
oppression and intolerance he could be bitter or sarcastic enough, but some 
lively thought or sportive image soon crossed his path, and he instantly fol¬ 
lowed it into the open and genial region where he loved most to indulge. 
He never dipped his pen into malignity. 


J. L. MOTLEY. 

John Lothrop Motley, one of the three great American historians, 
w.is born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, April 15, 1814, and after having 
been singularly honored in both the New and the Old World, he died in Dor¬ 
setshire, England, May 29, 1877. 

16 




326 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. • 


He entered Harvard in 1827, at the age of thirteen, and graduated 
four years later, making him only seventeen when he finished his first col¬ 
legiate course. He immediately repaired to Gottingen, thence to Berlin, in 
each of which places he studied for about a year. Motley next spent some 
time in traveling in Italy and other parts of southern Europe, after which he 
returned to the United States in 1834. Immediately taking up the study of 
law he was called to the bar, but subsequently made literature his profes¬ 
sion. In 1837 he married, and two years later published a two-volume novel 
entitled “Morton’s Hope, or the Memoirs of a Young Provincial.” The 
work appeared anonymously, and attracted little or no attention. It 
proved to be a failure. In 1840 he was appointed secretary of the legation 
to the American Embassy to Russia. Not being suited with the atmosphere 
of St. Petersburg, he soon resigned and turned his attention to literature. 

His next work consisted of historical and critical essays contributed to 
the North American Review.” These essays gave him considerable reputa¬ 
tion. In 1849 he again came forward with a novel entitled “Merry Mount, 
a Romance of the Massachusetts Colony.” This work appeared anony¬ 
mously, and, like his first effort, fell heavily on the market. From the two 
failures in the field of romance he probably came to the conclusion that he 
was not adapted to that vein of literature. He also took the hint from the 
success of his historical essays, and in 1846 the project of writing a history 
of Holland had begun to take shape in his mind, and he had already pre¬ 
pared a considerable quantity of MSS., when, finding the materials at his 
disposal in the United States quite inadequate for the completion of his 
work, he resolved to migrate, along with his family, to Europe in 1851. The 
next five years were spent at Berlin, Dresden, Brussels, and the Hague in 
laborious investigation of the archives preserved in those capitals, and 
resulted in 1856 in the publication of “ The Rise of the Dutch Republic, a 
History” (London and New York, 3 vols. 8vo). This work, which, after a 
large historical introduction, minutely follows the history of the Low Coun¬ 
tries from the abdication of Charles in 1555 down to the assassination of 
William the Silent in 1584, immediately became highly popular by its 
graphic manner and the warm and sympathetic spirit in which it was writ- 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


327 


ten, while at the same time it was frankly recognized by scholars as a pains¬ 
taking and conscientious piece of original work. It speedily passed through 
many English editions, was translated into French (with an introduction by 
Guizot) in 1859, and also into Dutch (with introduction and notes by 
Bakhinzen van den Brink, himself a distinguished historian), as well as into 
German and Russian. Pursuing his researches in England, France, Belgium 
and Holland, Motley was able to publish in 1860 the first two volumes of 
the “History of the United Netherlands,” covering the period from the 
death of William the Silent, in 1584, to shortly after the destruction of the 
Armada, by which the Spanish project for subjugating England and recon¬ 
quering the Netherlands was finally defeated. This work, which was on a 
somewhat larger scale than the preceding, embodied the results of a still 
greater amount of original research, not only in the Dutch archives, in the 
copies of the Simancas archives, and in the portions of those archives still 
retained in Paris, but also in the London State Paper Office, and in the 
MS. department of the British Museum. By two new volumes, published 
in 1868, the work was brought down to the twelve years’ truce in 1609, and 
it was announced that the author was engaged in writing a continuation 
which should embrace the history of the Thirty Years’ War. Meanwhile 
Motley, from the close of 1861 to 1867, had held the post of United States 
minister to Vienna; in 1869 he was appointed to a similar position at the 
court of St. James, but was recalled in 1870. After a short visit to Hol¬ 
land he again took up his residenco in England, where “ The Life and Death 
of John Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, with a view of the Primary Causes 
of the Thirty Years’ War” (2 vols.) appeared in 1874. Ill health now began 
to interfere with sustained literary work, and, after a protracted period of 
failing vigor, he died in 1877. 

There is no doubt about Motley’s place as a historian. He occupies a 
front rank. The story is told in an easy, attractive and clear manner. 
The narrative once commenced, you can hardly lay down the book till the 
conclusion is reached. Macaulay gained renown by the sparkle of a highly 
polished and rhetorical literary style, but Motley gained friends by the clear, 
unvarnished manner in which the story fell from his pen. America is justly 
proud of her trio of great historians, Prescott, Bancroft and Motley. 




328 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


JAMES MONTGOMERY. 


This distinguished poet and journalist was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, 
Scotland, November 4, 1771. His eventful life closed at Sheffield, April 30, 
1854, at the age of eighty-three. 

His father was a Moravian missionary, who died whilst propagating 
Christianity in the Island of Tobago. From him James received the strong 
religious sentiments that formed the groundwork for much of his excellent 
poetry. 

He was educated at the Moravian school of Fulneck, named after the 
original home of the Moravians. Having refused to become a priest, James 
was apprenticed to a grocer at Mirfield. At the age of sixteen, with less than 
a dollar in money, he ran off from Mirfield, and after some suffering, secured 
employment as shop-boy in the village of Wath, in Yorkshire. In a short 
time he left this place and started for London. He carried with him a col¬ 
lection of his poems, but failing to find a publisher, took a situation as clerk 
in a newspaper office in Sheffield, in 1791. This position proved to be both 
pleasant and profitable, and was the beginning of his journalistic career. 
Upon his master’s failure, Montgomery, with the aid of friends, started “ The 
Sheffield Iris,” a weekly journal, which he edited until 1825, a period of more 
than thirty years. His course did not always run smooth. In January, 
1794, amidst the excitement of that agitated period, he was tried on the 
charge of having printed a ballad, written by a clergyman of Belfast, on the 
demolition of the Bastile in 1789, which was interpreted into a seditious 
libel. The poor poet, notwithstanding the innocence of his intentions, was 
found guilty and sentenced to three months imprisonment in the castle of 
York, and to pay a fine of £ 20 . In January, 1795, he was tried for a sec- 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


829 


ond imputed political offense—a paragraph in his paper which reflected on 
the conduct of a magistrate in quelling a riot at Sheffield. He was again 
convicted, and sentenced to six months imprisonment in York Castle, to pay 
a fine of £30, and to give security to keep the peace for two years. From 
our stand-point the charges against him were absurdly forced and unfair. 

Montgomery’s first volume of poetry, entitled “ The Wanderer of Swit¬ 
zerland and Other Poems,” appeared in 1806. The volume was mercilessly 
ridiculed by the “ Edinburgh Review, ” and though the popularity of the book 
had already carried it into the third edition, the “ Review ” predicted that “The 
Wanderer of Switzerland,” and the other poems of the collection would never 
be heard of again. As a singular illustration of the unfairness of critics, 
we call attention to the fact that, within eighteen months of the prophecy, 
another edition was passing through the same press that printed the 
“ Review, ” and it has now reached twenty editions. 

His next poem, “The West Indies,” published in 1810, was written in 
honor of the abolition of African slave trade by the English legislature in 
1807. The poem is considered superior to any of his former productions. 
“Prison Amusements” next appeared. As the title indicates, the poems of 
this collection were written while he was confined in York Castle. In 1812- 
’13 he came forward with an elaborate poem entitled “ The World Before the 
Flood.” In this poem he draws pictures of the happiness of the antedilu¬ 
vian patriarchs, and treats in a sweet and touching manner traditional or 
historical incidents belonging to that period. “Thoughts on Wheels” 
appeared in 1817, an excellent work issued to overcome many of the evils of 
the day, and directed against the state lotteries. “ The Climbing Boy’s Solil¬ 
oquies ” written by different authors, was published at this time. This book 
sought to overcome the cruel practice of employing boys, as chimney sweeps, 
and it finally accomplished its object. He published “Greenland” in 1819, 
an excellent sketch of the ancient Moravian Church, and the origin of its 
missions to Greenland. • Its beautiful descriptions rendered it at once popu¬ 
lar. “ Songs of Zion ” appeared in 1822; “ The Pelican Island,” 1827, sug¬ 
gested by a passage in “Captain Flinders’ Voyage to Terra Australis, ” describ- 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


ing the existence of the ancient haunts of the pelican in the small island on 
the coast of New Holland. 

In 1825 he retired from his newspaper, and thereafter lived a quiet and 
happy life in literature. In 1830 and 1831 Mr. Montgomery was selected to 
deliver a course of lectures at the Eoyal Institution on Poetry and General 
Literature, which he prepared for the press and published in 1833. A pen¬ 
sion of d6200 per annum was, at the instance of Sir Eobert Peel, conferred 
upon Montgomery, which he enjoyed till his death in 1854, at the ripe age 
of eighty-three. 

The inspiring force of Montgomery’s poetry was the humanitarian 
sentiment which has been such a power in the political changes of this 
century, and the pulse of this sentiment is nowhere felt beating more strongly 
than in his verse. His poetry has thus a historical interest altogether 
apart from its intrinsic value as poetry. Strictly speaking, Montgomery was 
more of a rhetorician than a poet, but his imagination was bold, ardent, and 
fertile. At the close of his career as a journalist, when all parties agreed in 
paying him respect, he claimed for his poetry that it was at least not imi¬ 
tative, and the claim was just as regarded conception and the choice of 
subjects, but as regards diction and imagery the influence of Campbell is 
very apparent in his earlier poems, and the influence of Shelley is supreme 
in the “ Pelican Island,” his last and best work as a poet. His “ Lectures on 
Poetry and General Literature,” published in 1833, show considerable breadth 
of sympathy and power of expression. “ Memoirs ” of him were published 
in seven volumes in 1856-’58. They furnish valuable materials for the 
history of English provincial politics in the nineteenth century. 






WILLIAM E. NYE 

























IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


333 


EDGAR W. NYE, 


Edgar W. Nye (Bill Nye) is probably the American newspaper wit par 
excellence of the present. He was born in Penobscot Co., Me. in 1850, 
though during most of his life he has been identified with the .west. Grat¬ 
ified readers and listeners encore the always unexpected exaggeration of 
this always welcome, ever popular “funny man.” Henry Ward Beecher 
once remarked: “A man must be watchful in three things, in eating, sleep¬ 
ing and laughing.” It is certainly necessary to be “on guard” as to the latter 
when under the spell of Bill Nye’s alert mind, which so easily detects idiosyn¬ 
crasies, and to whose fertile fancy is united intense vivacity. Amusement is 
said to be to some natures like wine, alcohol for the mind, and Bill has 
furnished the newspaper reading public unstintedly this sort of intoxicant. 
The fashion of the world’s fun changes completely from generation to gen¬ 
eration ; just now it is the irrelevancy, the outrageous bringing together of 
incongruous ideas, the preposterous mishaps, the general upsidedownness of 
Bill Nye’s narratives that pleases the public best. 





334 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


THOMAS NELSON PAGE. 


Thomas Nelson Page is descended from one of the oldest and most aris¬ 
tocratic families of Virginia, being third in descent from Gen. Thomas Nel¬ 
son, of Revolutionary fame—a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 
He was bom April 23, 1853, on the family estate in Hanover county, in the 
mansion house erected more than a hundred years ago. The war, which 
somewhat interrupted the child’s education, gave the boy a startling knowl¬ 
edge of some of the world’s ways, for on several occasions he was a witness 
to the horrors of war. Army after army passed his home, marching “On to 
Richmond.” As a consequence of the war the family was reduced to com. 
parative poverty, and the education of the son of the house was never com¬ 
pleted, in the ordinary sense, yet Mr. Page enjoys the distinction of having 
formulated the most exquisite, the most humorous and pathetic, the most 
truthful and dramatic story of the war ever written—“Mars Chan”—a story 
of Virginia before and during the war. He first commanded attention by the 
publication in 1876, of “Uncle Gabe’s White Folks,” a dialect poem quickly 
followed by “Uncle Edinburg’s Drowdin’,” “Meh Lady,” “Ole Stracted” 
and “Polly,”—beautiful pictures of life under social conditions now forever 
past—of the South in ante-bellum days. Mr. Page had given to the story-lov¬ 
ing world several other delightful sketches of Southern localisms; then he 
produced “Elsket,” a fine bit of work purely artistic and with a fresh motif. 















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


337 


J. H. PAYNE. 


John Howard Payne was bom in New York, June 9, 1792, and died in 
Tunis, April 10, 1852. 

His mind matured early as seen in the fact that at the age of thirteen, 
while a clerk in a counting house, he edited a weekly journal known as the 
“Thespian Mirror;” and while attending Union College he published another 
periodical called “ The Pastime.” 

At the age of seventeen he became an actor in the Park Theatre, of 
New York. He appeared as “Young Marvel,” and at other times acted in 
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and other large places. At the age of 
twenty-one he appeared at Drury Lane Theatre, London, as “Young Mar¬ 
vel, ” and for twenty years he pursued a career of varied success in England 
as actor, manager and playwriter. He translated French dramas and pro¬ 
duced original plays and adaptations, including “ Brutus, ” “ Therese, or the 
Orphan of Geneva,” and “Clari.” The first, produced in 1818, with 
Edmund Kean in the principal part, still holds possession of the stage. 
“Clari,” which was produced as an opera, contains the celebrated song, 
“ Home, Sweet Home, ” which alone preserves Payne’s name from oblivion. 
He also produced “Charles the Second.” 

Returning to the United States in 1832, he was appointed American 
consul at Tunis in 1841. This office he held at the time of his death in 1852. 

“Home, Sweet Home” touched the popular affections of the people, 
hence the world will never let it die; and with that beautiful home poem 
must forever be associated the name of John Howard Payne. Without that 
song he must have been forgotten, as he was only a precocious youth and a 
man of ordinary ability. But the one inspiration sang his name into 
immortal life. 





338 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


EDGAR ALLEN POE. 


Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston, January 19, 1809, and after 
a tempestuous life of forty years, he died in the city of Baltimore, Octo¬ 
ber 7, 1849. 

His father, the son of a distinguished officer in the Revolutionary army, 
was educated for the law, but having married the beautiful English actress, 
Elizabeth Arnold, he abandoned law, and in company with his wife, led 
a wandering life on the stage. The two died within a short time of each 
other, leaving three children entirely destitute. Edgar, the second son, a 
bright, beautiful boy, was adopted by John Allen, a wealthy citizen of Rich¬ 
mond. Allen, having no children of his own, became very much attached 
to Edgar, and used his wealth freely in educating the boy. At the age of 
seven he was sent to school at Stoke Newington, near London, where he 
remained for six years. During the next three years he studied under private 
tutors, at the residence of the Allens in Richmond. In 1826 he entered the 
University of Virginia, where he remained less than a year. 

After a year or two of fruitless life at home, a cadetship was obtained 
for him at West Point. He was soon tried by court-martial and expelled 
from school because he drank to excess and neglected his studies. Thus 
ended his school days. 

In 1829 he published “A1 Aaraaf, and Minor Poems.” “ This work,” 
says his biographer, Mr. Stoddard, “was not a remarkable production for a 
young gentleman of twenty. ” Poe himself was ashamed of the volume. 

After his stormy school life, he returned to Richmond, where he was 
kindly received by Mr. Allen. Poe’s conduct was such that Mr. Allen was 









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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. '341 


obliged to turn him out of doors, and, dying soon after, he made no mention 
of Poe in his will. 

Now wholly thrown upon his own resources, he took up literature as a 
profession, but in this he failed to gain a living. He enlisted as a private 
soldier, but was soon recognized as the West Point cadet and a discharge 
procured. 

In 1833 Poe won two prizes of $100 each for a tale in prose, and for a 
poem. John P. Kennedy, one of the committee who made the award, now 
gave him means of support, and secured employment for him as editor of 
the “Southern Literary Messenger” at Eichmond. After a short but suc¬ 
cessful editorial work on “The Messenger,” his old habits returned, he quar¬ 
reled with his publishers and was dismissed. While in Richmond he 
married his cousin, Virginia Clem, and in January, 1837, removed to New 
York. Here he gained a poor support by writing for periodicals. 

His literary work may be summed up as follows: In 1838 appeared a 
fiction entitled “The Narrative of Arthur Gorden Pym;” 1839, editor of 
Burton’s “Gentleman’s Magazine,” Philadelphia; next, editor of “Graham’s 
Magazine;” 1840, “Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque,” in two volumes; 
1845, “The Raven,” published by the “American Review;” then sub-editor 
of the “ Mirror” under employment of N. P. Willis and Geo. P. Norris; next 
associate editor of the “ Broadway Journal.” 

His wife died in 1848. His poverty was now such that the press 
made appeals to the public for his support. 

In 1848 he published “ Eureka, a Prose Poem.” 

He went to Richmond in 1849, where he was engaged to a lady of 
considerable fortune. In October he started for New York to arrange for the 
wedding, but at Baltimore he met some of his former boon companions, and 
spent the night in drinking. In the morning he was found in a state of 
delirium, and died in a few hours. 

The most remarkable of his tales are “The Gold Bug,” “The Fall of 
the House of Usher,” “ The Murders of the Rue Morgue,” “The Purloined 
Letter,” “A Descent into Maelstrom,” and “The Facts in the Case of M. 
Valdemar.” “ The Raven” and “The Bells” alone would make the name of 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Poe immortal. The teachers of Baltimore placed a monument over his 
grave in 1875. 

Poe has been severely censured by many writers for his wild and 
stormy life, but we notice that Ingram and some other prominent authors 
claim that he has been willfully slandered, and that many of the charges 
brought against him are not true. His ungovernable temper and high spirit 
led him into disputes with his friends, hence he was not enabled to hold any 
one position for a great length of time. Like Byron and Burns, he had 
faults in personal life, but his ungovernable passions are sleeping, while the 
sad strains of “The Raven,” the clear and harmonious tones of “ The Bells,” 
and the powerful images of his fancy live in the immortal literature of his 
time. 


ALEXANDER POPE. 


Alexander Pope was born in London, May 21, 1688, and he died at 
Twickenham, May 30, 1744. 

Pope claimed to be of gentle blood, and that his father was of a gen¬ 
tleman’s family in Oxford, “ the head of which was the Earl of Downe.” 
The poet’s mother was the daughter of William Turner, Esq., of York. In 
1677 Pope’s father carried on business in London, as a linen merchant. 
Having acquired a competency in addition to the property gained by his mar¬ 
riage with Edith Turner, he retired from business about 1688 to a small 
estate at Binfield, near Windsor. 

Alexander’s education was commenced by the family priest. After the 
boy had made some proficiency under his private tutor, he was sent to a 
Catholic seminary at Twyford, near Winchester. In this school young Pope 
lampooned his teacher, was severely whipped, and finally removed to a small 
school near London. He returned home in about his thirteenth year. Here 






ALEXANDER POPE 

































































































« 












I 






















































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD- 


345 


he devoted himself to an enthusiastic study of literature and private instruc¬ 
tion. Pope, even from his youth, was an admirer of Dry den. He wrote 
verses before he was twelve years of age. 

As yet a child, and all unknown to fame, 

I lisped in numbers, for the numbers came. 

He had commenced his “Pastorals” at the age of sixteen, and had 
translated parts of “Statius.” In 1709 his « Pastorals ” were published, 
and in 1711 appeared his “Essay on Criticism.” Addison reviewed the 
“Essay” in the “Spectator” and praised it very cordially. The ripeness of 
judgment displayed by one so young was considered very remarkable, and 
not only the “ Essay ” rose into great popularity, but from that time Pope’s 
life was that of a popular poet. Even at that early age his style was formed and 
complete. He selected Dryden as the master of his versification; but in point 
of brevity, accuracy and melody, he improved greatly upon his original. In 
1712 the “Essay” was followed by the “Rape of the Lock.” This poem, 
with the addition made a year later, is probably the most perfect specimen 
we have of Pope’s genius and art. The poem is referred to so frequently, 
that we venture to give its origin. Lord Petre ventured to steal a lock ol 
hair from Miss Arabella Fermor, his lady-love, and a beauty of the day. 
The act was taken seriously, and it caused an estrangement between the fam¬ 
ilies. Pope, as he suggests, intended to make a jest of the affair, and laugh 
them together. While he failed to “ laugh them together again, he 
added greatly to his fame by the production. “ Windsor Forest” appeared 
in 1713, and “Temple of Fanre” in 1715. These are full of fine pictures of 
forest scenes and external nature. Pope now commenced the work of trans¬ 
lating the “Iliad,” which was published at intervals between 1715 and 1720. 
By this translation, he made about £5,320. Part of this sum was given by 
the upper classes to reward his literary merit. Pope’s exclamation, 

“And thanks to Homer, since I live and thrive, 
indebted to no prince or peer alive,” 

was hardly just. The “ Odyssey ” was not finished, even by the help of his 
mends Broome and Fenton, till in 1725. For the two translations Pope 



346 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


received between eight and nine thousand pounds. In 1716 Pope’s father 
having sold his estate at Binfield, removed to Chiswick, where he died in 
1716, leaving his aged wife to the care of her son. While residing here Pope 
collected his poems into a book. In this volume first appeared “ Elegy to 
the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady,” also the “Epistle of Eloisa to Abe¬ 
lard. ” “ The delicacy of the poet in veiling over the story of Abelard and 

Eloisa and at the same time preserving the ardor of Eloisa’s passion, 
the beauty of his imagery and descriptions, the exquisite melody of his 
versification, rising and falling like the tones of the iEolian harp, as he success¬ 
ively portrays the tumults of guilty love and the deepest penitence and the 
highest devotional rapture, have never been surpassed. ” About 1718 the poet 
removed with his aged mother to Twickenham, where he resided during the 
remainder of his life. Here he had taken a lease of a house and grounds which 
he improved very tastily, and here he was visited by the ministers of state, 
wits, poets and beauties. This classic spot was the center of attraction, and 
remained so while Pope lived. In 1725 he brought out an edition of Shakes¬ 
peare in six quarto volumes. This work was not considered a success. Next, 
in conjunction with his friend Swift, he published three volumes of “ Miscel¬ 
lanies ” in l727-’28. The treatment which the author received on account 
of these volumes led to “ The Dunciad, ” which, as enlarged and published in 
1729, is an elaborate and splendid satire. In this satire he is often merciless 
and unjust toward the poets and critics against whom he waged war. In 
l731-’35 Pope published his “ Essay on Man.” This is in four Epistles, and 
worthy of the author’s fame. It is full of splendid passages and lines of 
mingled sweetness and dignity, as seen in the following: 

“ Hope springs eternal in the human breast; 

Man never is, but always to be blessed. 

The soul, uneasy and confined from home, 

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.” 

From this time Pope confined himself chiefly to satire. In 1735-’39 
he brought out his “Imitations of Horace.” In 1742, he added a fourth 
book to “ The Dunciad,” which, in its complete form, he published in 1743. 

Political events now combined to agitate the last days of Pope. The 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


347 


government issued a proclamation prohibiting Catholics from coming within 
ten miles of London. This was done in anticipation of the approach of the 
Pretender. He soon answered another proclamation; this time “ from the 
Highest of all Powers.” Uttering the death sentiment, “I am so certain 
of souls being immortal that I seem to feel it within me as it were by 
intuition,” he obeyed the proclamation from on high, and passed to hL 
final rest. 

Pope was a remarkable man, considering the circumstances of his life. 
He was of delicate frame and health, and was quite badly deformed from 
birth. On account of his physical condition, he was kept from any active 
pursuit. Being deformed, his vanity was over-indulged, which probably led 
to his hasty and irritable temper. With all his outward faults we admire 
him, and here append his own words: “ To err is human, to forgive, divine.” 
His “wit, fancy and good sense are as remarkable as his satires,” and his 
elegance has scarcely been equaled. 


PRESCOTT. 


William Hickling Prescott, one of the three great American histo¬ 
rians, was born at Salem, Massachusetts, May 4, 1796. When sitting alone 
in his study he experienced a shock of paralysis, from the effects of which he 
died in less than two hours. At his death, on January 28, 1859, a cloud of 
deep mourning settled over the entire country, and a vast concourse of peo¬ 
ple followed the remains to the grave. 

Prescott’s father was an eminent judge and lawyer. Appreciating the 
advantages of a good education, he gave William every opportunity for study 
that the best schools could afford. He entered Harvard College, where he 
distinguished himself in his studies. His collegiate life was greatly inter' 






348 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


rupted by an accident which threatened to render him totally blind. A fel¬ 
low-student threw a crust of bread, which accidentally struck Prescott in the 
eye. For a long time he was almost wholly blind. Partly for medical advice 
and partly for pleasure, he visited England, France and Italy. After an 
absence of two years, he returned to the United States, when he married and 
settled in Boston. An essay on “Italian Narrative Poetry,” contributed to 
the “North American Review” in 1824, was his first literary effort. The 
essay was followed by numerous valuable papers from his pen, published in 
the “ Review. ” The favor with which his papers were received led him 
to turn his attention wholly to letters. The peculiar charm which the public 
pointed out in his historical narratives, indicated to him that he could best 
succeed in the realm of history. He lost no time in experimental novel writ¬ 
ing, but at once commenced to prepare for his life-work by studying the lit¬ 
erature and history of Spain. He had decided to write the history of Ferdi¬ 
nand and Isabella’s reign, and had begun the work, when his eye gave out 
entirely, and for several years he had no use of it in reading. 

His literary enthusiasm, however, was too strong to be subdued even 
by this calamity; he engaged a reader, dictated copious notes, and from 
these notes constructed his composition, making in his mind those corrections 
which are usually made in the manuscript. Instead of dictating the work 
thus composed, he used a writing-case made for the blind, which he thus 
describes: “ It consists of a frame of the size of a piece of paper, traversed 
by brass wires as many as lines are wanted on the page, and with a sheet of 
carbonated paper, such as is used for getting duplicates, pasted on the reverse 
side. With an ivory or agate stylus, the writer traces his characters between 
the wires on the carbonated sheet, making indelible marks w T hich he can¬ 
not see on the white sheet below.” In this way the historian proceeded with 
his task, finding, he says, his writing-case his best friend in his lonely hours. 
The sight of his eye partially returned, but never sufficiently to enable him 
to use it by candle-light. 

In 1837 appeared his history of “Ferdinand and Isabella,” in three 
volumes, and the work was eminently successful on both sides of the Atlam 
tic. In 1843 “The Conquest of Mexico,” three volumes, and in 1847 “The 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


349 


Conquest of Peru,” two volumes, still further extended Mr. Presoott’s reputa¬ 
tion, and it is calculated that latterly he received from £4,000 to £5,000 a 
year from the sale of his writings. 

He next commenced work upon his “ History of Philip II, and about 
the same time made a visit to England. The mother country received him 
with great favor and distinction, and Oxford conferred upon him the honor¬ 
ary degree of LL. D. Prescott proposed to carry his “History of Philip” 
through six volumes, and the British government had contracted to pay him 
£1,000 per volume for the copyright. When a part of the “ History” was 
ready for the press in 1854, a decision of the House of Lords annulled the 
bargain. There being no protective international copyright law, it was 
decided that Prescott could claim no protection for his work unless he resided 
in England at the time of its publication. But he would not take this course. 
At a great pecuniary sacrifice he preferred to present to the world one signal 
example more of the injustice to which the writers of England and Amer¬ 
ica are exposed by the want of a reasonable system of international copy¬ 
right. English writers claim that the American government is responsible 
for the want of such a system of protection to authors. In 1855 appeared 
two volumes of “Philip II,” and the third in 1858. In the interval Pres¬ 
cott received a shock from paralysis, which was followed by another in 
1859, resulting in his death. 

Prescott is one of the few literary men who determined, without error, 
on a proper sphere of action. From the first he gave forth no uncertain 
sound. His first articles gave evidence of genius, and success crowned every 
step of his life. While Americans are proud of him, and are willing to 
accept no rank for him except that of the first, English writers are equally 
just in their estimates of him. The following is English authority: “ As a 
historian Prescott may rank with Robertson as a master of the art of narra¬ 
tive, while he excels him in the variety and extent of his illustrative 
researches. He was happy in the choice of his subjects. The very names 
of Castile and Arragon, Mexico and Peru, possess a romantic charm, and 
the characters and scenes he depicts have the interest and splendor of the 
most gorgeous fiction. To some extent the American historian fell into the 
17 



350 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


error of Robertson in palliating the enormous cruelties that marked the 
career of the Spanish conquerors, but he is more careful in citing his 
authorities, in order, as he says, to put the reader in a position for judging 
for himself, and thus for revising, and, if need be, for reversing the judg¬ 
ments of the historian. ’ 


T. B. READ. 


Thomas Buchanan Read was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 
March 12, 1822, and died in New York, May 11, 1872. 

Mr. Read commenced his life work as an artist, intending to make 
painting a business. When he was but seventeen years of age he entered 
the studio of a sculptor in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained about two 
years. In 1841 he went to New York, and, after a few months, removed to 
Boston, where he began his career as a painter. While he gained distinct 
tion as an artist, yet he is known to the general public as a poet, and to his 
pen must we look for the chief source of his fame. 

While in Boston he contributed numerous poems to the “ Courier,” 
which were received with so much favor as to induce him to cultivate his 
poetic faculties. He abandoned entirely the study of sculpture, and gave his 
whole time to poetry and painting. In 1846 he settled in Philadelphia, 
where he remained until 1850, when he went to Florence, Italy. In that 
sunny clime he remained, with an occasional visit to the United States, till 
in the spring of 1872. On the latter date he returned to America, but died 
shortly after his arrival. 

He won fame as a painter, his most important works being portraits. 
His literary record is brief, but it is one of unusual merit. He published his 
“Lays and Ballads” at Philadelphia in 1848; “The New Pastoral,” 1856; 
“The Waggoner of the Alleghenies/’1862; “A Summer Story, and Other 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


351 


Poems,” 1865; and “Poetical Works,” in three volumes, in 1866. Read 
has written a few poems that have become a part of the current literature of 
the land, and have been reproduced in school readers and popular selections 
till they can be repeated from memory by most lovers of poetry. Among 
these we may mention “ Drifting,” perhaps his most beautiful poem, and 
“ Sheridan’s Ride,” the most popular. 

Read’s poetry is true to nature. The thoughts seem to suggest the 
appropriate words in which to clothe them, so that his sentences are a per¬ 
fect mirror in which the thoughts are reflected. He usually selects subjects 
that are real, hence you can appreciate pen sketches of actual persons, places, 
and events. Ordinarily his poems close in a few sweet and tender thoughts. 
Simplicity, also, is a feature of his writings, as may be illustrated by a -hort 
selection entitled 


THE OLD HOME. 

Between broad fields of wheat and com 
Is the lowly home where I was born. 

The peach-tree leans against the wall, 

And the woodbine wanders over all. 

There is the barn,—and as of yore, 

I can smell the hay from the open door, 
And see the busy swallows throng, 

And hear the peewee’s mournful song. 

Oh, ye who daily cross the sill, 

Step lightly, for I love it still! 

And when you crowd the old barn eaves, 
Then think what countless harvest sheaves 
Have passed within that scented door 
To gladden eyes that are no more. 





352 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


EDWARD PAYSOIST ROE. 


Edward Payson Roe was born at Windsor, N. Y., March 7, 1838. He 
entered Williams College with a view of studying for the ministry. Later he 
spent a year at Auburn Theological Seminary. In 1862 he became chaplain 
of the Second New York Cavalry, but was transferred by President Lincoln 
to the chaplaincy of the hospital of Fortress Monroe. After the close of the 
war he became pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Highland Falls. In 1874 
he removed to Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. It was here that most of his books- 
were written. After the great Chicago fire he visited the scene, and here it was, 
sitting on the steps of Robt. Collier’s church, that his first and most popular 
book, “Barriers Burned Away,” was begun. 

The great sale of this book encouraged him, and he devoted himself to 
literature. Already nearly 1,000,000 copies of his sixteen books have been 
sold. It is said his income exceeded that of any other American writer. 

Among his other popular works may be mentioned, “Near to Nature’s 
Heart,” “Opening a Chestnut Burr,” “A Knight of the XIX Century,” “A 
Day of Fate,” “He Fell in Love with his Wife,” “Without a Home.” 

From his father he inherited a taste for horticulture, which clung to him 
through life. He wrote several volumes on this subject: “Culture of Small 
Fruits,” “Success with Small Fruits,” and “Play and Profit of a Garden.” 

He was in fullest sympathy with the people, and in every story he wrote 
he aimed to elevate as well as please. It is said he never wrote a line he 
could not preach. His simple, easy style pleased the people and they showed 
their appreciation by liberal patronage of his writings. He died in 1888, 





E. P. ROE 























IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


353 


OPIE READ. 


A conspicuous figure in literary Chicago is Opie Bead. He is not only 
author of some of the most successful novels of the last quarter of the 
Nineteenth Century, but his strong individuality, his unusual gifts as a 
raconteur , the startling originality which characterizes the man from head to 
foot, would make him a striking figure in any community. Nature has been 
bountiful to him. Six feet three inches in height, of stalwart frame, she has 
endowed him with the necessary physique to endure the fret and toil of an 
author’s career. She has given him, in addition, a perfectly equitable temper, 
which nothing, apparently, can disturb. Like all men of genius, he is not 
without his eccentricities, and his friends relate many stories of his eccentric 
ways, but there is probably not in all of Chicago another man who is so well 
beloved by those who know him. 

Read counts among his intimate companions such men as Stanley 
Waterloo, Charles Eugene Banks, John Ritchie, John McGovern, William 
Armstrong, LeRoy Armstrong, Ernest McGaffey and a few others. This 
is a literary coterie which, when once gathered, is likely to have a long 
sitting. 

But his most inseparable companion, probably, is his pipe—inseparable 
only, however, in a sense, as he is everlastingly leaving it in one place or an¬ 
other, and he will neglect the most important appointments to go and get it. 
He will not entrust this duty to a messenger, but goes for it himself. One 
day it will be in the Press Club, the next in the office of his publisher. When 
it is left in the latter place it is reverently picked up by the young lady clerks 
and put away in the safe. “Is Mr. Read here ?” is often asked and they will 





’ 354 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


answer, “No, but he left his pipe here last night, and if you will wait long 
enough he is sure to come after it. ” This pipe is not an elaborate affair. It 
is a veteran briar-wood with a reasonably long stem. 

Eead is essentially a domestic man. He has a delightful family, con¬ 
sisting of a wife and four children—three daughters and a little boy. He has 
just purchased a fine home for himself on Calumet avenue, but true to his 
whimsical methods he did not buy the house because of its choice location, 
but owing to the fact that it had a spacious library. This library was in¬ 
tended by the former owner of the house—a pork packer—to be a billiard 
room. Eead declares that if the pork-packer had intended it for a library it 
would have been a miserable failure as such, but as it was intended for a 
billiard room the result was a fine library. In this library will be stored Mr. 
Eead’s rare and quaint collection of books, the accumulation of years of 
rummaging among old book stalls, curiosity shops and other out-of-the-way 
places. 

Oddly enough, this collection does not run in his own style of work. 
“It is my misfortune,” said Eead, “that I am compelled to write fiction;” so 
he reads philosophy and takes for his mental nourishment the deeper 
thinkers of the past and present. Yet he admits that he enjoys himself in¬ 
tensely when writing a novel. 

Opie Pope Eead (that is his full name) was born in Nashville, Tenn., 
December 22, 1852, and was educated in a private school. He began news¬ 
paper work in 1876 and wrote humorous and pathetic sketches for the Little 
Eock “Gazette” in 1880. With his brother-in-law, Mr. P. D. Benham, he 
founded the “Arkansaw Traveler” in 1882. In 1887 he removed to Chicago, 
and four years later retired from the “Traveler” so that he might devote all 
of his time to purely literary work. 




oriK lium 









































































- 





























































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


355 


JAMES WHITCOMB EILEY. 


James Whitcomb Riley, was born at Greenfield, Indiana, in 1852. In 
his youth he led a rather roaming or wandering life, going from place to place 
following sign writing for a livelihood. Being thus early thrown with the 
public he acquired a good knowledge of men, especially in the lowly or every¬ 
day walks of life. Later he filled an engagement with a theatrical troupe. 
Of his success as an actor no special comment is made, although it is known 
that he filled the place acceptably. 

In 1875 he began contributing to the local papers verses in the Western 
dialect. These verses gradually grew in popularity, until he became a regular 
contributor to the Indianapolis Journal. His fame has spread until he is 
recognized as one of the poets of the age. The public is in close sympathy 
with him, for he touches a responsive chord in the heart, and so true to life 
and nature are his pen pictures of every-day life and incidents that the reader 
is easily reminded of similar scenes in his own past life or experience. 

The simplicity and yet faithful portrayal of childish feelings is nowhere 
better portrayed than in his poems, “The Elf-Child” and “The Raggedy 
Man.” 

His principal poems are published in the following books: “The Old 
Swimmin* Hole and ’Leven More Poems,” “Sketches and Poems,” “After¬ 
whiles,” “Pipes O’Pan at Zekesbury,” “ Rhymes of Childhood.” 

He has made a number of tours over this country with William E. Nye, 
and others, giving recitations from his poems. 

The popularity of his poems has given his books a wide sale. 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


356 


.Y3JIJj-oHir RtTSKIK 


John Ruskin, author of several ^vorks on art, was born in London in 
1819, the only son of a wealthy wine merchant. He was entered at Christ 
Church College, Oxford, where he graduated, and in 1839 took the Newdegate 
prize for English poetry. Inlpressed with the idea that art was his vocation 
in life, he studied painting under Copley Fielding and J. D. Harding; but 
the pencil has long since become merely the auxiliary of the pen. In 1843 
appeared the first portion of his “ Modern Painters, by an Oxford Graduate,” 
W,bfch, though published when tfie author was only twenty-four years of age, 


bears the impress of deep thought. The second part was published in 1846, 
and the third and fourth volumes ten years later, in 1856. Many other 
works appeared in the interval. Indeed, Mr. Euskin is now one of the most 
voluminous writers of the day; but it may be a question if he has ever risen 
to the level of the first two volumes of “ Modern Painters.” Latterly his 
works have been little more than hurriedly written pamphlets, reviews, and 


revisals of popular lectures, which, though often rising into passages of vivid 
description and eloquence, and possessing the merit of great clearness, are 
generally loose and colloquial in style. “ The Seven Lamps of Architecture,” 
1849, and the “ Stones Ox Venice,” three volumes, 1851 ’53, are the principal 
of Mr. Buskin’s works, besides the “Modern Painters,” but we may also 
mention the following: “Letters in Defense of the Pre-Baphaelites, ” pub¬ 
lished at various times since 1851; “ The Construction of Sheep-folds” (the 
discipline of the church), 1851; “ The Opening of the Crystal Palace,” 1854; 
“ Notes on the Academy Exhibitions,” published in the month of May for the 
last few years; “ The Elements of Drawing,” 1857; “ The Political Economy 
of Art,” 1858; “The Two Paths,” 1859; besides contributions to the 








JOHN KUSKIN 





























IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


359 


“Quarterly Review,” the “Art Journal,” the “ Scotsman,” etc. In 1861 a 
selection from the works of Mr. Ruskin was published in one volume—a 
treasure to all young literary students and lovers of art. His subsequent 
works have been numerous: “ Lectures on Civilization,” 1866; “ The Queen 

of the Air, Being a Study of the Greek Myths of Cloud and Storm,” 1869; 
“ Lectures on Art,” delivered before the University of Oxford in 1870, etc. 
Mr. Ruskin made a munificent offer of <£5,000 for the endowment of a master 
of drawing in Oxford, which was accepted by the university authorities in 
November, 1871. 

Mr. Ruskin’s influence upon art and art literature has been remark- 
able. The subject has received a degree of consideration among general 
readers that it had not previously enjoyed in our day, or perhaps in any 
period of our history; and to Mr. Ruskin’s veneration for every work of 
creation, inculcated in all his writings, may be ascribed the origin of the 
society of young artists known as the Pre-Raphaelites. Protesting against 
what they conceived to be lax conventionalism in the style of most modern 
painters, the innovators went back, as they said, to Nature, preferring her, 
in all her moods and phases, to ideal visions of what she occasionally might, 
or ought to appear. Mr. Ruskin seems often to contradict himself, but upon 
this point his own mind is easy. “I never met a question yet,” he says in 
the inaugural address to the Cambridge School of Art, “ which did not need, 
for the right solution of it, at least one positive and one negative answer, 
like an equation of the second degree. Mostly matters of any consequence 
are three-sided or four sided, or polygonal; and the trotting round a polygon 
is severe work for people any way stiff in their opinions. For myself, I am 
never satisfied that I have handled a subject properly till I have contradicted 
myself at least three times.” 

Parents can do their children no greater service than to put into their 
hands the writings of Ruskin. His style is pure and his works are free from 
dangerous sentiments. Having read Ruskin, the young man or young 
woman has noble thoughts of God and his works in nature, and elevated 
ideas of life. 



360 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD: 


JOHX GODFREY SAXE. 


J. G. Sax^, was born in Highgate, Franklin County, Vermont, June 
2, 1816. We have not learned that his youth was marked by any points 
of interest. With habits of industry and a desire for learning, he advanced 
steadily from the beginning to the end of his school work, “ each day gain¬ 
ing and always retaining” valuable information. 

In 1839 he completed a course of study in Middlebury College. In 
J 843 he was admitted to the bar at St. Albans. He practiced law in his 
native county till in March, 1850. During the next six years Saxe was 
dditor and proprietor of the “ Burlington Sentinel.” In the year 1856 he 
was State’s Attorney. Three years later, in 1859-’60, he was the candidate 
of his party for governor of Vermont. From the time of his admission to 
the bar he was actively engaged in literary work, although his first published 
book did not appear till in 1846. 

Saxe’s books include “Progress, a Satire,” published in 1846; “New 
Rape of the Lock,” 1847; “The Proud Miss McBride,” 1848; “The Times,” 
1849; “The Money King, and other Poems,” 1859; “Clever Stories of 
Many Nations,” 1864; “ The Masquerade and other Poems,” 1866; “Fables 
and Legends in Rhyme,” 1872; and “ Leisure Day Rhymes,” 1875. The 
collection of poems, “ The Times,” published in Boston in 1849, has passed 
through forty editions. 

Saxe was one of our best humorous poets. In some respects he resem¬ 
bled Hood, “ being remarkably quick in seeing the ludicrous side of things, 
and very felicitous in the use of puns and other oddities of speech.” He 
died in Albany, N. Y., March 31, 1887. 





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mm 




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JOHN G. SAXE. 





































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


363 


SIR WALTER SCOTT. 


Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 5, 1771. 
and he breathed his last on September 21, 1832. 

His father, a writer to the “Signet,” encouraged literature. His 
mother, Anna Rutherford, daughter of the professor of medicine in the Edin¬ 
burgh University, was a lady of fine culture, also well related. The excel¬ 
lent ancient Scottish kinsmen of both his pu. ents centered in our poet. To 
those who understand the impulses of a Scotchman, it is easy to understand 
the pleasure that Scott felt at his ability to trace his ancestral line back to 
the best ancient families of his beloved Scotia. 

Apparently the most important part of his education came incident¬ 
ally from his physical condition, by the following circumstances: Delicate 
health, arising chiefly from lameness, led to his being placed under the charge 
of some relations in the country; and when a mere child, yet old enough to 
receive impressions from country life and border stories, he resided with his 
grandfather at Sandy-Knowe, a romantic situation a few miles from Kelso 
and there at the age of thirteen he first read Percy’s Reliques. This work 
had great effect in making him a poet. He passed through the high school 
of his native town, and the Edinburgh University. In these schools he 
acquired a good knowledge of Latin, and became proficient in ethics, moral 
philosophy, and history, but his aversion to Greek prevented him from 
acquiring the rich treasures of that classic mine. For the purposes of gen¬ 
eral literature, he acquired a sufficient knowledge of the German, French, 
Italian and Spanish languages. His great appetite for books led him to store 
his mind with a vast variety of general knowledge. The greater part of this 
information he acquired during the sickness of his youth. He was particu- 




364 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


larly fond of romances, and he became familiar with the ballads of nis coun¬ 
try, and the stories of border life. He also formed the habit of inventing 
stories and telling them to the great pleasure of his audience. His gentle 
and pleasing manners made him a welcome guest wherever he went. Even 
in early life he had acquired some skill in writing verse. Some of his pro¬ 
ductions in this line were secured by Dr. Adams of the high school which 
our youthful poet was attending, and wrapped in a cover inscribed “ Walter 
Scott, July, 1783.” 

Having completed his literary training in school, he was apprenticed 
to his father as a writer, but he afterward studied law and was admitted tc 
the bar in his twenty-first year. By this time his health was completely 
restored and he was vigorous and robust. Numerous “raids,” as Scott 
called them, were made into the country, in which valuable knowledge of 
rural life, character, traditions and anecdotes was acquired. Scott joined 
the Tory party, and when the dread of an invasion agitated the country he 
became one of a band of volunteers, “brothers true,” in which he held the 
rank of quartermaster. His exercises as a cavalry officer and the jovialities 
of the mess-room occupied much of his time; but he still pursued, though 
irregularly, his literary studies, and an attachment to a Perthshire lady— 
though ultimately unfortunate—tended still more strongly to prevent his 
sinking into idle frivolity or dissipation. In 1796 he published transla¬ 
tions cf Burger’s “Lenore” and “The Wild Huntsman,” ballads of singular 
wildness and power. Next year, while fresh from his first-love disappoint¬ 
ment, he was prepared, like Romeo, to “take some new infection to his eye,” 
and meeting at Gilsland, a watering-place in Cumberland, with a young lady 
of French parentage, Charlotte Margaret Carpenter, he paid his addresses to 
her, was accepted, and married on the 24th of December. 

The lady possessed a small fortune and with this the young couple 
settled in a neat little cottage at Lassawade, where their happiness was com¬ 
plete. By this time Scott had passed the lighter period of life; his hopes 
for the future were all ablaze. In 1799 he published his translation of 
Goethe’s tragedy, “Goetz von Berlichingen, ” and was appointed sheriff of 
Selkirkshire, at a salary of £300 per annum. With this income added to 




SIR WALTER SCOTT. 

















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


367 


the receipts of his pen he was enabled to begin gathering the material for 
his books. He visited Liddesdale and collected the ballad poetry of the 
Border, and in 1802 gave to the world “ Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.” 
The work at once pointed out the great power which afterward appeared so 
strongly in his novels. His next task was editing the metrical romance of 
“ Sir Tristrem, ” supposed to have been written by Thomas the Rhymer, or 
Thomas of Ercildoune, who flourished about the year 1289. At length, in 
January, 1805, appeared “ The Lay of the Last Minstrel.” His concep¬ 
tion of the Minstrel was inimitable, and won all hearts—even those who 
were indifferent to the supernatural part of the tale, and opposed to the 
irregularity of the ballad style. 

Scott’s regular income had now reached about £5,000 per annum. 
But the now famous Scotchman was not satisfied with a mere competence. 
He had an ambition to found a family that should be as honorable as tfie 
ancient Border names he so much venerated. To do this he must become a 
land-owner with an estate large enough to yield a steady and princely 
income. He must also maintain a liberal hospitality. They proved a snare 
to him, as we shall see before closing this sketch. 

He now took up his residence in a beautiful locality on the banks of 
the Tweed, that he might be in the county for which he was acting as 
sheriff. He also formed a partnership with his schoolfellow, an extensive 
printer in Edinburgh. A publishing house was soon connected with the 
establishment. The firm drew heavily upon Scott to meet the immense out¬ 
lay of the new concern, and thus he became mixed up with the pecuniary 
transactions of the concern to quite an extent. However, one of his strong 
friends secured him the appointment, in 1806, of one of the principal clerk¬ 
ships of the Court of Sessions at a salary of about $6,500 per annum. His 
share of the printing business and the income from the new appointment 
enabled him to lay up a magnificent fortune for his family. In 1808 he 
published his great poem, “ Marmion, ” the best of his chivalrous tales, for 
the copyright of which he received one thousand guineas; also an edition 
of Lryden. “ The Lady of the Lake, ” the most popular of his works then 
published, appeared in 1810; “ The Vision of Lon Roderick,” 1811; “Roke- 



368 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


by, 1813; “The Bridal of Triermain,” 1813; “The Lord of the Isles,” 
1814; “The Field of Waterloo,” 1815; and “Harold the Dauntless,” 1817. 
It will be seen by the above that books were falling annually from the pen 
of the ’Great Minstrel, but the style had become familiar to the world and 
had lost some of its popularity. So he turned from poetry to prose, and the 
long and magnificent series of “Waverly” followed. Before considering his 
novels we will call attention to his efforts to found a family that should be 
permanent and honorable in the history of Scotland. Scott had now 
removed from his pleasant cottage at Ashestiel; the territorial dream was 
about to be realized. In 1811 he purchased a hundred acres of moorland 
on the banks of the Tweed, near Melrose. The neighborhood was full of his¬ 
torical associations, but the spot itself was bleak and bare. Four thousand 
pounds were expended on this purchase, and the interesting and now 
immortal name of Abbottsford was substituted for the very ordinary one of 
“Cartley Hole.”' Other purchases of land followed, generally at prices con¬ 
siderably above their value. From these farms was formed the estate of 
Abbotsford. In his baronial residence the poet received innumerable visit¬ 
ors—princes, peers, and poets—men of all ranks and grades. His morn¬ 
ings were devoted to composition—for he had long practiced the invaluable 
habit of early rising—and the rest of the day to riding among his planta¬ 
tions, thinning or lopping his trees, and in the evening entertaining his 
guests and family. The honor of the baronetcy was conferred upon him in 
1820 by George IY, who had taste enough to appreciate his genius. Never, 
certainly, had literature done more for any of its countless votaries, ancient 
or modern. 

As early as 1805 Scott had begun the composition of “Waverly” but 
being dissatisfied with his work he threw it aside. In 1813 he accidentally 
came across the unfinished manuscript in a drawer with his fishing tackle, 
and resolved to complete it. The work was finished in 1814. The book 
appeared anonymously, as did most of his subsequent works, but the world 
was reasonably certain of their authorship. In 1815 “Guy Mannering” 
appeared. Bearing some marks of haste, yet the interest of the tale is sus¬ 
tained throughout with dramatic skill and effect. “The Antiquary,” bring- 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


369 


mg out Scott’s knowledge of the middle and lower ranks of Scottish life,, was 
published in 1816. This year also witnessed the appearance of “ The Black 
Dwarf” and “Old Mortality.” Although Scott made an extra effort to keep 
the authorship of these novels a secret, by changing to a new publisher, yet 
the universal voice assigned them to the author of “ Waverly.” “ Old Mor¬ 
tality” came laden with the‘rich spoils of history, and was pronounced the 
greatest of Scott’s performances. In 1818 “ Rob Roy” and “The Heart of 
Mid-Lothian” were published. “Rob Roy ” presented beautiful pictures of 
Highland scenery and manners, and aroused the old enthusiasm that greeted 
“The Lady of the Lake.” “The Bride of Lammermoor,” a story of sus¬ 
tained and overwhelming pathos, appeared in 1819, conjointly with “The 
Legend of Montrose.” “Ivanhoe,” the historical romance, was published in 
1820. The scene of this novel belongs to the time of Richard I of England. 
In 1820 “The Monastery” and “The Abbot” appeared, and in the succeed¬ 
ing year “Kenilworth,” which ranked next to “Ivanhoe.” “The Fortunes of 
Nigel,” an English historical romance of the time of James I, belongs to 1822, 
and to the succeeding year, the following three works of fiction: “Peveril of 
the Peak,” “Quentin Durward,” and “St. Ronan’s Well.” “Quentin Dur- 
ward” was a raid into French history. “The French nation exulted in this 
new proof of the genius of Scott, and led the way in an enthusiastic admira¬ 
tion of the work.” In 1824 he published “ Redgauntlet;” “The Tales of 
the Crusades” in 1825, being two tales entitled “The Betrothed” and “The 
Talisman,” the latter a splendid eastern romance. 

At this time came the break in Scott’s fortunes, to which we referred 
in speaking of his connection with the publishing house. The commercial 
distresses of 1825-’26 fell upon publishers as on other classes, and the bank¬ 
ruptcy of Constable & Company involved the poet in losses and engagements 
to a very large amount. His wealth, indeed, had been almost wholly illu¬ 
sory, for he had been paid for his work chiefly by bills, and these ultimately 
proved valueless. In the management of his publishing house, Scott’s sagac¬ 
ity seems to have forsaken him; unsalable works were printed in 
thousands; and while these losses were yearly accumulating, the princely 
hospitalities at Abbotsford knew no check or pause. Heavy was the day of 



370 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


reckoning—-terrible the reverse; for when the spell broke in January, 1826, 
it was found that, including the Constable engagements, Scott’s commercial 
liabilities exceeded £120,000, and there was a private debt of £10,000. He 
would listen to no overtures of composition with his creditors—his only 
demand was for time. He ceased “doing the honors for all Scotland,” sold 
off his Edinburgh house, and taking lodgings there labored incessantly at his 
literary tasks. “The fountain was awakened from its inmost recesses, as if 
the spirit of affliction had troubled it in its passage.” Before his death the 
commercial debt was reduced to £54,000. Our strongest admiration is 
aroused by tne terrible energy with which he continued his work. “ The Life 
of Napoleon,” in nine volumes, appeared in 1827; “ The Two Drovers,” “The 
Highland Widow,” and “The Surgeon’s Daughter,” in the beginning of 1828. 
This constituted the first series of “The Chronicles of Canongate,” and in 
the latter part of the same year he published the second series, entitled “The 
Fair Maid of Perth.” At the same time Scott was preparing his “Tales of a 
Grandfather,” “History of Scotland,” for Lardner’s “Cyclopedia,” “Letters 
on Demonology,” and collected numerous notes for his novels. In 1829 he 
was ready with the romance entitled “Anne of Geierstein.” 

Disease was fast taking his strength, but his pen never faltered. It 
produced less rapidly, perhaps, but retained most of its power. After 
repeated shocks of paralysis and apoplexy he wrote “Count Robert of Paris,” 
“Castle Dangerous,” and published them in 1831. These tales were imper¬ 
fect, but they closed the work of the noble mind that had so long swayed the 
sceptre of romance. “In April, 1831, he suffered a still more severe attack, 
and he was prevailed upon, as a means of withdrawing him from mental 
labor, to undertake a foreign tour. The Admiralty furnished a ship of war 
and the poet sailed for Malta and Naples. At the latter place he resided 
from the 17th of December, 1831, to the 16th of April following. He still 
labored at unfinished romances, but his mind was in ruins. From Naples 
the poet went to Rome. On the 11th of May, he began his return homeward, 
and reached London on the 13th of June. Another attack of apoplexy, com- 
oinea with paralysis, had laid prostrate his powers, and he was conveyed to Ab¬ 
botsford a helpless and almost unconscious wreck. He lingered on for some 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


371 


time, listening occasionally to passages reacHo him from the Bible, and from 
his favorite author Crabbe. Once he attempted to write, but his fingers 
would not close upon the pen. He never spoke of his literary labors or 
success. At times his imagination was busy preparing for the reception of 
the Duke of Wellington at Abbotsford, at other times he was exercising the 
functions of Scottish judge as if presiding at the trial of members of his own 
family. His mind never appeared to wander in its delirium toward those 
works which had filled all Europe with his fame. This fact is of interest in 
literary history. But the contest was soon to be over; ‘the plough was near¬ 
ing the end of the furrow.’ ‘About half-past one P. M.,’ says Mr. Lock¬ 
hart, ‘on the 21st of September, 1832, Sir Walter breathed his last, in the 
presence of all his children. It was a beautiful day—so warm that every 
window was open—and so perfectly still that the sound*tff*all others most 
delicious to his ear, the gentle ripple of the Tweed over its pebbles, was dis¬ 
tinctly audible as we knelt around the bed, and his eldest son kissed and 
closed his eyes.’ ” 

Upon his death his life insurance reduced his debt to £30,000, and the 
publisher of his works, Mr. Robert Cadell, assumed the debt in return for the 
copyright of Scott’s works. The estate of Abbotsford was freed from all 
incumbrances, through the sale of the great author’s works. Not only this, 
but the publisher was enabled to buy himself an estate, and leave his family 
a fortune of about half a million dollars. The unexpired copyrights Mr. 
Cadell sold just before his death, to Adam Black & Co., for £17,000. It is 
a marvelous comment on the popularity of Scott’s works. A debt of over half 
a million paid within twenty years, and a fortune of nearly an equal amount 
piled up from the pen of the “Great Wizard of the North.” 


18 




372 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


SCHILLER 


Johann Christoph Friedrich yon Schiller, one of the greatest of Ger¬ 
man national poets, was born at Marbach, Germany, on the banks of the 
Nectar, on the 10th of November, 1759. He died on the 9th of May, 1805, 
at the age of forty-five. 

His father, Johann Caspar Schiller, for a time was a surgeon in the 
Bavarian army, and served in the Netherlands during the Succession War. 
The Peace of Paris put an end to his military employment, but he was 
retained in the service of the Duke of Wurtemberg, and moved from one 
establishment to another from time to time. 

Friedrich followed the movements of his parents for some time, and 
had to glean his learning from the various masters. His first teacher was 
Moser, in the village of Lorch, for three years. In the public school at 
Ludwigsburg he spent four years, where his studies were regulated with a 
view to preparing him for the ministry. Through the influence of the Duke 
of Wurtemberg he abandoned this idea and entered a seminary at Stut- 
gard. At this same college he turned his attention for a time to the study 
of medicine. His first production was an epic poem entitled “Moses,” 
and written at the age of thirteen. It was not till in 1783, how¬ 
ever, that he adopted literature as a profession. For two years he was 
writer at the theatre at Mannheim. Here it was that he wrote his tragedy 
of “Fiesco.” With the appearance of “Fiesco” and its companion, “Kabaie 
und Liebe,” the first period of Schiller’s literary history may be said to con¬ 
clude. In 1789 Goethe recommended him for the professorship of history at 
Jena University and he was successful in securing it. Two years later ho 
produced his “History of the “Thirty-Years’ War.” This by many is con 
































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


375 


sidered his chief performance in this line of literature, although competent 
critics affirm that had “The Revolt of the Netherlands” been completed, it 
would have been its equal if not its superior; but either would have placed 
him in the first rank among historians. In 1789 he brought forth his 
masterpiece, the tragedy of “Wallenstein.” One year later he took up his 
abode in Weimar. It was near this time that he consummated a scheme 
that had been in his mind for ten years—the editing of the “ Thalia.” This 
was, in 1798, merged into the “Horen.” While living at Weimar he gave 
to the world “Mary Stuart,” which appeared in 1800, “Maid of Orleans,” 
1801, and “The Bride of Messina.” “William Tell,” one of the very finest 
and probably the most well known of all Schiller’s dramas, was sent out in 
1804. Although it lacks unity of interest and of action, is less compre¬ 
hensive than “Wallenstein,” and not so ethereal as the “Jungfrau,” still it 
ably sustains the high place among his writings which is claimed for it. It 
is given on good authority that the ballads of Schiller are the finest of their 
kind in the German language. As has been stated, he died on Friday, 
May 9, 1805, and was buried between midnight and one o’clock Sunday 
morning. 



876 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


HENRY W. SHAW. 


Josh Billings (Henry W. Shaw) was born in 1815, at Lanesborough,Mass. 
He is missed, becaused liis peculiar place in American literature is yet un¬ 
filled. Such a heart-searching philosopher, such a speller of graceless 
method, is rare indeed. It has been defined that wit sparkles, while humor 
permeates. Josh Billings was a genial, warm-hearted humorist, rather than a 
brilliant, sparkling wit. Under an apparently essential awkwardness was an 
epigrammatic philosophy, and his witty and wise opinions have a peculiar 
charm, often exposing the hidden absurdity of things and thereby revealing 
the very truth, He was not much given to the atrocity of pun-making (Dr. 
Jonson used to say that the man who would make a pun would pick a pocket), 
but his fun might be characterized as wit touched by love, though, sometimes 
nothing could be keener than the point of his satire. Both his father and 
grandfather were, each in his day, members of Congress, though Mr. Shaw 
himself was for twenty-five years a farmer and auctioneer, never having writ¬ 
ten a line for publication until after the age of 45. He was for many years 
an exceedingly popular lecturer. He died at Monterey, Cal., Oct. 14,1885. 







HENRY SHAW, 









































































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


379 


WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. 


William Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon, in the county of 
Warwick, in April, 1564, and having gained a competency of fortune and 
fullness of fame in London, he retired to his native town, where he died on 
the 23d of April, 1616. 

But very little is known of Shakespeare’s early life or of the history of 
his ancestors. His father, John Shakespeare, is traced to a family occupy¬ 
ing lands near Warwick. John Shakespeare was settled near Stratford, 
where he became a wool-comber. His social position was improved by his 
marriage to Mary Arden, a rustic heiress to an estate valued at about six 
hundred dollars per annum. He arose to be high bailiff and chief alderman 
of Stratford, but becoming involved, he mortgaged his wife’s estate and was 
thus reduced to poverty. Of the six surviving children William was the 
oldest. 

The only school education he received was what he could gather in a 
short grammar school course. From this school he was soon called home 
to assist in his father’s business. A blank of several years here occurs in 
his history. While we can gain no incidents of his life in this period, yet 
we may take it for granted that he was busy with his studies and reflections, 
for he came out of this period with a breadth and depth of thought and 
knowledge scarcely surpassed in his time. 

While Shakespeare’s fame rests mainly upon his work as a dramatist, 
yet, with the exception of “ The Faerie Queene,” his poems are unequaled in 
the “ Elizabethan Age.” His “Venus and Adonis” appeared in his twenty- 
ninth year, and the “Kape of Lucrece” the year following. Shakespeare 
dedicated these poems to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, in the 





380 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


following modest words: “ I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my 
unpolished lines to your lordship, nor how the world will censure me for 
choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burden; only, if your honor 
seems but pleased I account myself highly praised and vow to take advan¬ 
tage of all idle hours till I have honored you with some graver labor. But 
if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so 
noble a godfather, and never after ear [till] so barren a land.” Later, it is 
claimed, the Earl of Southampton presented Shakespeare with 1,000 pounds 
to complete a purchase which he wished to make. Objections are urged 
against the above poems on the ground of their excessive coloring and licen¬ 
tiousness. His sonnets, 154 in number, were first printed in 1609. While 
many of them are beautiful, yet they reflect no great credit on their author. 
Partially pleased and not wholly displeased, we turn from Shakespeare the 
poet to Shakespeare the dramatist. We but repeat the universal opinion 
when we say that Shakespeare reigns supreme in the dramatic world. Here 
he is at home. The circumstances of his youth were such as to cultivate 
his dramatic genius. While he resided at home, London players were in 
the habit of making frequent visits to Stratford. Burbage, the greatest per¬ 
former of his day,—the future Richard, Hamlet, and Othello—was from 
Warwickshire. The circumstance of his father’s being high bailiff would 
probably give William an opportunity to meet these noted performers and 
from them and their plays to receive the “first stirrings of his immortal 
dramatic genius.” At the age of eighteen Shakespeare married Ann Hath¬ 
away. This lady was seven years older than her husband, but the union 
seems to have been a harmonious one. About 1586 our poet removed to 
London where his ambition had full scope. As an actor he was always 
spoken of favorably, but “the source of his unexampled success was his 
immortal dramas, the delight and wonder of his age.” Up to 1611 the 
whole of Shakespeare’s plays, thirty-seven in number, according to the first 
folio edition, are supposed to have been produced. One year after the com¬ 
pletion of the last of these plays he retired to his country house. Here he 
lived for four years, a perfect “picture of calm felicity and satisfied ambi¬ 
tion, when he died at the age of fifty-tw T o. His widow survived him seven 




WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 









IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


383 


years. Three children had been born to them, but no lineal representatives 
of the great poet remain. 

The autograph signature of the poet to a mortgage deed was sold in 
1858 for the British Museum, in London, for the sum of three hundred 
guineas. The enormous sum paid for this single signature of the great 
Shakespeare shows the estimation placed upon mementoes of him, and illus¬ 
trates, to a certain extent, the esteem in which his memory is held in England. 
The signature is so obscured that the spelling cannot be determined. 


P. B. SHELLEY. 


Percy Bysshe Shelley was born at Field Place, near Horsham, in 
Sussex, August 4, 1792; and his eventful life came suddenly to a sad 
termination. He had gone out in a boat to Leghorn to welcome Leigh Hunt 
to Italy, and while returning on the eighth of July, 1822, the boat sank in 
the Bay of Spezia, and all on board perished. When his body floated to 
shore a volume of Keats’ poetry was found open in Shelley’s coat pocket. 
The remains were reduced to ashes and deposited in the Protestant burial 
ground at Rome, near those of a child he had lost in that city. 

His father was a member of the House of Commons. The family line 
could be traced back to one of the followers of William cf Normandy. Thus 
in noble blood Shelley was more fortunate than most of his brother poets, 
considering the estimate that England placed upon the distinction of caste. 
He had all the advantages of wealth and rank, and hence much was expected 
of him. 

At the age of ten Shelley was placed in the public school of Sion 
House, but the harsh treatment of instructors and school-fellows rendered 
his life most unpleasant. Such treatment might have been called out by his 





384 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


fondness for wild romances and his devotion to reading instead of more solid 
school work. While very young he wrote two novels, “ Zastrozzi ” and “ St. 
Irvyne, or the Rosicrucian, ” works of some merit. Shelley was next sent to 
Eton, where his sensitive nature was again deeply wounded by ill usage. 
He finally revolted against all authority, and this disposition manifested 
itself strongly in Eton. 

Shelley next went to Oxford, but he studied irregularly, except in his 
peculiar views, where he seemed to he constant in his thought and specula¬ 
tions. At the age of fifteen, he wrote two short romances, threw off various 
political effusions, and published a volume of political rhymes entitled 
“ Posthumous Poems of My Aunt Margaret Nicholson,” the said Margaret 
being the unhappy maniac who attempted to stab George III. He also 
issued a syllabus of Hume’s “ Essays,” and at the same time challenged the 
authorities of Oxford to a public discussion of the subject. He was only seven¬ 
teen at the time. In company with Mr. Hogg, a fellow-student, he composed 
a treatise entitled “The Necessity of Atheism.” For this publication, both of 
the heterodox students were expelled from the college in 1811. Mr. Hogg 
removed to York, while Shelley went to London, where he still received 
support from his family. 

His expulsion from Oxford led also to an inexcusable confusion in his 
social life. He had become strongly attached to Miss Grove, an accom¬ 
plished young lady, but after he was driven from college her father pro¬ 
hibited communication between them. He next became strongly attached 
to Miss Harriet Westbrook, a beautiful lady of sixteen, but of social position 
inferior to his. An elopement soon followed, and a marriage in August, 
1811. Shelley’s father was so enraged at this act that he cut off his son’s 
allowance. “An uncle, Captain Pilfold—one of Nelson’s captains at the 
Nile and Trafalgar—generously supplied the youthful pair with money, and 
they lived for some time in Cumberland, where Shelley made the acquaint¬ 
ance of Southey, Wordsworth, De Quincey and Wilson. His literary ambition 
must have been excited by this intercourse; but he suddenly departed for 
Dublin, whence he again removed to the Isle of Man, and afterward to 
Wales. After they had been married three years and two children were bom 




P. B. SHELLEY, 





























.? > * - 


















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


387 


to them they separated. In March, 1814, Shelley was married a second 
time to Harriet Westbrook, the ceremony taking place in St. George’s Church, 
Hanover Square. Unfortunately, about this time the poet became enamoured 
of the daughter of Mr. Godwin, a young lady who could ‘ feel poetry and 
understand philosophy,’ which he thought his wife was incapable of, and 
Harriet refusing to agree to a separation, Shelley, at the end of July in the 
same year, left England in the company of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin.” 

Upon his return to London, it was found that by the deed, the fee- 
simple of the Shelley estate would pass to the poet upon his father’s death. 
Accordingly he was enabled to raise money with which he purchased an 
annuity of £1,000 from his father. He again repaired to the continent in 
1816, when he met Lord Byron at Lake Geneva. Later he returned to 
England and settled at Great Marlow, in Buckinghamshire. His unfortunate 
wife committed suicide by drowning herself in the Serpentine River in De¬ 
cember, 1816, and Shelley married Miss Godwin a few weeks afterward 
(December 30). 

Leaving his unfortunate social career, we come now to consider his poet¬ 
ical works. At the age of eighteen he wrote “ Queen Mab,” a poem containing 
passages of great power and melody. In 1818 he produced “Alastor, or the 
Spirit of Solitude,” full of almost unexcelled descriptive passages; also the 
‘‘Revolt of Islam.” Shelley was most earnest in his attentions to the poor. 
A severe spell of sickness was brought on by visiting the poor cottages in 
winter. Poor health induced him to go to Italy, accordingly on the twelfth 
of March, 1818, he left England forever. 

In 1819 appeared “Rosalind and Helen,” and “The Council,” a 
iragedy dedicated to Leigh Hunt. “As an effort of intellectual strength 
&nd an embodiment of human passion it may challenge a comparison with 
any dramatic work since Otway, and is incomparably the best of the poet’s 
productions.” In 1821 was published “Prometheus Unbound,” which he 
had written while resident in Rome. “ This poem, ” he says, “was chiefly 
written upon the mountainous ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, among the 
flowery glades and thickets of odoriferous blossoming trees, which are 
extended in ever-winding labyrinths upon its immense platforms and dizzy 



398 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


arches suspended in the air. The bright blue sky of Rome, and the effect of 
the vigorous awakening of spring in that divinest climate, and the new life 
with which it drenches the spirits even to inspiration, were the inspiration of 
this drama.” Shelley also produced “Hellas,” “The Witch of Atlas,” 
“Adonais,” “Epipsychidion,” and several short works with scenes trans¬ 
lated from Calderon and the “ Faust of Goethe.” These closed his literary 
labors, for he died as described in the beginning of this sketch, in 1822. 

A complete edition of “Shelley’s Poetical Works” with notes by his 
widow was published in four volumes in 1839, and the same lady gave to 
the world two volumes of his prose “Essays,” “Letters from Abroad,” 
“ Translations and Fragments.” Shelley’s was a dream of romance—a tale 
of mystery and grief. That he was sincere in his opinions and benevolent 
in his intentions is now undoubted. He looked upon the world with the 
eyes of a visionary bent on unattainable schemes of intellectual excellence 
and supremacy. His delusion led to misery and made him, for a time, 
unjust to others. It alienated him from his family and friends, blasted his 
prospects in life, and distempered all his views and opinions. It is probable 
that, had he lived to a riper age, he might have modified some of those 
extreme speculative and pernicious tenets, and we have no doubt that he 
would have risen into a purer atmosphere of poetical imagination. The 
troubled and stormy dawn was fast yielding to the calm noonday brightness. 
He had worn out some of his fierce antipathies and morbid affections; a 
happy domestic circle was gathered around him, and the refined simplicity 
of his tastes and habits, joined to wider and juster views of human life, 
would imperceptibly have given a new tone to his thoughts and studies. 
The splendor of his lyrical verse—so full, rich and melodious—and the 
grandeur of some of his conceptions, stamp him a great poet. His influ¬ 
ence on the succession of English poets since his time has been inferior only 
to that of Wordsworth. Macaulay doubted whether any modern poet 
possessed in an equal degree the “highest qualities of the great ancient 
masters.” His diction is singularly classical and imposing in sound and 
structure. He was a close student of the Greek and Italian poets. The 
descriptive passages in “Alastor” and the river-voyage at the conclusion of 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


389 


the “Kevolt of Islam,” are among the most finished of his productions. His 
better genius leads him to the pure waters and the depth of forest shades, 
which none of his contemporaries knew so well how to describe. Some of 
the minor poems, “The Cloud,” “The Skylark,” etc., are imbued with a fine 
lyrical and poetic spirit. 


THE CLOUD. 

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers, 
From the seas and the streams; 

I bear light shade for the leaves when laid 
In their noonday dreams. 

From my wings are shaken the dews that waken 
The sweet birds every one, 

When rocked to rest on their mother’s breast, 

As she dances about the sun. 

I wield the flail of the lashing hail, 

And whiten the green plains under; 

And then again I dissolve it in rain, 

And laugh as I pass in thunder. 


MRS. SIGOURNEY. 


Lydia Huntley Sigourney was born in Norwich, Connecticut, Septem¬ 
ber 1, 1791, and died in Hartford, June 10, 1865. 

Having completed her studies, she opened a private school in Hart¬ 
ford, in 1814. In the succeeding year she published “Moral Pieces in 
Prose and Verse,” a work of some merit. In 1819 she married Charles 
Sigourney, a merchant of Hartford. Her life passed pleasantly between her 
home duties and her books till in 1840, when she visited Europe. In 1842 
the reminiscences of her visit were published in a volume entitled “Pleasant 
Memories of Pleasant Lands,” and the work was well received. 




390 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Her principal works are “Letters to Young Ladies,” “Pocahontas, 
and Other Poems,” “Letters to my Pupils,” “ Letters to Mothers,” “Let 
ters of Life,” “Post Meridian,” “The Man of Uz, and other Poems,” “In 
dian Names,” “Death of an Infant.” The list is too long to be given in full 
as she published nearly sixty volumes of poems, prose, and selections. Hei 
autobiography appeared in 1866, the year after her death, under the title 0 / 
“Letters of Life.” 

Mrs. Sigourney is regarded by a large class of critics as the most 
gifted authoress America has yet produced. She possessed a pleasant and 
agreeable style, and her works are deservedly popular. 


ROBERT SOUTHEY. 


Robert Southey, LL.D., poet laureate of England, was born at Bris¬ 
tol, August 12, 1774, and he died at Greta, March 21, 1843. 

His father was a respectable linen draper, but Robert was indebted to 
his uncle for an education. At the age of fourteen he was sent to the West¬ 
minster School, where he remained about four years. Southey and some of his 
school associates started a periodical called “The Flagellant,” in which they 
published a sarcasm upon corporal punishment. Dr. Vincent, the head¬ 
master, commenced a prosecution against the publishers, which forced 
Southey to withdraw from the school. Like Shelley, he was somewhat dis¬ 
gusted with the institutions of his country, but the effect upon their lives 
was far different. The effect finally wore off from Southey. In 1792 he 
entered Balliol College, Oxford. He became an excellent scholar, including 
a knowledge of Greek, Latin, Spanish, and Portuguese languages. While at 
Oxford he formed literary plans enough for the work of several long and busy 
lives. He was one of the most studious men that ever lived. His life was 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


391 


spent almost entirely in his magnificent library. Referring to his books, and 
he had one of the finest private libraries in the realm, he said: 

My days among the dead are passed; 

Around me I behold, 

Where’er these casual eyes are cast, 

The mighty minds of old; 

My never-failing friends are they. 

With whom I converse night and day. 

Southey s literary career commenced in 1794, when he published a vol¬ 
ume of poems in conjunction with Robert Lovell, under the names of Mos- 
chus and Bion. At the same time he composed his drama of “ Wat Tyler, ” 
a revolutionary pamphlet, “ which was long afterward published surrepti¬ 
tiously by a knavish book-seller to annoy its author.” Afterward Southey 
expressed his excuse for “ Wat Tyler ’* as follows : “ In my youth, when my 
stock of knowledge consisted of such an acquaintance with Greek and Roman 
history as is acquired in the course of a scholastic education—when my 
heart was full of poetry and romance, and Lucan and Akenside were at my 
tongue’s end—I fell into the political opinions which the French revolution 
was then scattering throughout Europe; and following these opinions with 
ardor wherever they led, I soon perceived that inequalities of rank were a 
light evil compared to the inequalities of property, and those more fearful 
distinctions which the want of moral and intellectual culture occasions be¬ 
tween man and man. At that time, and with those opinions, or rather feel¬ 
ings (for their root was in the heart and not in the understanding), I wrote 
‘Wat Tyler,’ as one who is impatient of all the oppressions that are done 
under the sun. The subject was injudiciously chosen, and it was treated as 
might be expected by a youth of twenty at such times, who regarded only one 
side of the question.” 

“Joan of Arc,” published in 1793, is full of the same political senti¬ 
ment. In 1795 he married Miss Edith Fricker, of Bristol, but they parted 
immediately after the ceremony was performed, the lady returning to her 
parents, while Southey finished his studies. 

The death of his brother-in-law and brother-poet, Lovell, occurred dur- 



m 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


ing liis absence abroad, and Southey on his return set about raising some¬ 
thing for his young friend’s widow. She afterward found a home with 
Southey—one of the many generous and affectionate acts of his busy life. 
In 1797 he published his “Letters from Spain and Portugal,” and took up 
his residence in London, in order to commence the study of law. A college 
friend, Mr. C. W. W. Wynn, gave him an annuity of £160, which he contin¬ 
ued to receive until 1807, when he relinquished it on obtaining a pension 
from the crown of £200. 

His health failing, he again visited Portugal, and after a year’s absence, 
returned to England much improved. For a short time he resided at Bris¬ 
tol, then took a journey into Cumberland to visit Coleridge. He found his 
poetic friend at Greta Hall, Keswick, where Southey remained during the 
greater part of the rest of his life. About the same time he was appointed 
private secretary to Mr. Cory, chancellor of the exchequer of Ireland, at a 
salary of £350 per year. The work was not congenial, hence after about six 
months of bondage, he returned to his home and entered upon his career as 
a professional author. “ Thalaba, the Destroyer,” appeared in 1801, an 
Arabian fiction of great-beauty and magnificence, for which he received 100 
guineas. Abandoning entirely his revolutionary views, he became greatly 
devoted to the church and state, and settled on the banks of the river Greta, 
near Keswick. A volume of “ Metrical Tales” appeared in 1804; “Madoc,” 
an epic poem, founded on a Welsh story, in 1805; “ The Curse of Kehama,” 
his greatest poetical work, in 1810. Some of the scenes of this strangely 
magnificent theatre of horrors are described with the power of Milton. , 

In 1814 he published “Roderick, the Last of the Goths,” a noble and 
pathetic poem. Accepting the office of poet laureate in 1813, he published 
some courtly strains that added nothing to his fame. His “ Carmen Tri- 
umphale” appeared in 1814, and “ The Vision of Judgment,” 1821. These 
'works were ridiculed at the time, and especially by Lord Byron, who pub¬ 
lished another “Vision of Judgment,” in which he punishes the laureate most 
severely. His last poetical work was a volume of narrative verse, “ All for 
Love,” and “The Pilgrim of Compostella,” published in 1829. He was 
offered a baronetcy and a seat in parliament, both of which he prudently 





















4 








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I 







































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


39.-, 


declined. His fame and his fortune, lie knew, could only be preserved by 
adhering to his solitary studies, but these were too constant and uninter¬ 
rupted. The poet forgot one of his own maxims, that “ frequent change of 
air is of all things that which most conduces to joyous health and long life.” 

In 1833-’37 Southey edited and published the works of Cowper in 
fifteen volumes. In the meantime his wife became a mental imbecile in 
1834, in which sad condition she remained about three years. Southey bore 
up under the affliction, but his health was greatly shattered. After a brief 
time he married Miss Bowles, the poetess, but his mind became clouded in 
the course of a few years, and he died in 1843. 

Wordsworth, writing to Lady Frederick Bentinck in July, 1840, says 
that on visiting his early friend he did not recognize him till he was told. 
“ Then his eyes flashed for a moment with their former brightness, but he 
sank into the state in which I had found him, patting with both hands his 
books affectionately like a child. ” Three years were passed in this deplora¬ 
ble condition, and it was a matter of satisfaction rather than regret that 
death at length stepped in to shroud this painful spectacle from the eyes of 
affection as well as from the gaze of vulgar curiosity. He died at Greta on 
the 21st of March, 1843. He left at his death a sum of about £12,000, to 
be divided among his children, and one of the most valuable private libraries 
in the kingdom. The life and correspondence of Southey have been published 
by his son, the Bev. Charles Cuthbert Southey, in six .volumes. His son-in- 
law, the Bev. J. Wood Warter, published his “Commonplace Book,” four 
volumes, and “Selections from His Letters,” four volumes. In these works 
the amiable private life of Southey, his indefatigable application, his habitual 
cheerfulness and lively fancy, and his steady friendships and true generosity, 
are strikingly displayed. The only drawback is the poet’s egotism, which 
was inordinate, and the hasty, uncharitable judgments sometimes passed on 
his contemporaries, the result partly of temperament and partly of his 
seclusion from general society. Southey was interred in the churchyard of 
Crosthwaite, and in the church is a marble monument to his memory, a full- 
length recumbent figure, with the following inscription by Wordsworth on 
the base :* 




396 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Wordsworth’s epitaph on southey. 

Ye vales and hills, whose beauty hither drew 
The poet’s steps, and fixed him here, on you 
His eyes have closed; and ye, loved books, no more 
Shall Southey feed upon your precious lore, 

To works that ne’er shall forfeit their renown, 
Adding immortal labors of his own; 

Whether he traced historic truth with zeal 
For the state’s guidance, or the church’s weal; 

Or Fancy, disciplined by studious Art, 

Informed his pen, or Wisdom of the heart 
Or Judgments sanctioned in the patriot’s mind 
By reverence for the rights of all mankind. 

Large were his aims, yet in no human breast 
Could private feelings find a holier nest. 

His joys, his griefs, have vanished like a cloud 
From Skiddaw’s top, but he to heaven was vowed 
Through a life long and pure, and steadfast faith 
Calmed in his soul the fear of change and death. 


EDMUND SPENSER, 


Edmund Spenser was born at East Smithfield, England, about 1553; 
and, impoverished and broken-hearted, he died on Saturday, January 13, 
1599. 

The poet’s father came from the family of Spenser, which settled at 
Hurstwood, in Lancashire, where it flourished until 1690. His exact relation 
to the ancient and noble house of Spenser cannot be ascertained. 

In 1569 young Edmund was entered a sizar of Pembroke College, 
Cambridge. Although entered as one of the humblest class of students, he 
pursued his studies for seven years, taking the degree of M. A. in June, 
1576. While Spenser was attending college Gabriel Harvey, the future 




























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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


399 


astrologer, was at Christ’s College. An intimacy was formed between them 
which lasted during the poet’s life and was of great advantage to him. 
Harvey induced Spenser to go to London, and there introduced him to Sir 
Philip Sidney, one of the very diamonds of her majesty’s court. 

Sir Philip afterward patronized our poet and recommended him to the 
powerful Earl of Leicester. Spenser’s literary life commenced in 1579, by 
the publication of his “ Shepherd’s Calendar,” dedicated to Sidney. This is 
a pastoral poem and it shows some faults, such as obsolete uncouth phrases, 
but its numerous beautiful passages exhibit the “germs of that tuneful 
harmony and pensive reflection in which Spenser excelled.” 

In the next ten years Spenser was not before the public. Within this 
time he seems to have been corresponding with Harvey and Sir Philip 
Sidney, concerning the literary innovation of banishing rhymes and intro¬ 
ducing the Latin prosody into English verse. The scheme, however, was 
soon abandoned, and he took up the “ Faerie Queene” and carried it forward 
in the sweet music of his verse “ and the endless flow and profusion of his 
fancy. ” 

Like Chaucer, Spenser had to depend upon the patronage of certain 
nobles and upon court favors for support. In his struggles he met with 
numerous reverses, but he toiled on in poverty till Lord Grey was sent to 
Ireland as lord-deputy, when Spenser was selected as his secretary. After 
two years of service, the appointment was recalled, and our poet returned to 
England. Finally, in 1586, the crown showed an appreciation of Spenser’s 
ability, and granted him 3,028 acres of land in the county of Cork, Ireland. 
This grant was made from a tract of land forfeited by the Earl of Desmond. 
Twelve thousand acres had been granted previously to Sir Walter Raleigh. 
In fulfillment of one of the conditions of the grant, our poet removed to his 
estate. Here, near Doneraile, in Kilcolman Castle, he took up his abode, 
and received the numerous visits of the illustrious Raleigh, whom he styled 
“ the Shepherd of the Ocean. ” “ The poet’s castle stood in the midst of a 

large plain, by the side of a lake. The river Mull ran through his grounds, 
and a chain of mountains in the distance seemed to bulwark in the romantic 


19 



4.00 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


retreat.” At this place he wrote most of the “Faerie Queone,” and with his 
noted friend Baleigh, read the manuscript while sitting 

“Amongst the cooly shade 
Of the green alders, by the Mulla’s shore.” 

This masterly poem appeared in January, 1589-’90, dedicated to Her 
Majesty, and was enthusiastically received. The queen now settled a pen¬ 
sion of fifty pounds per annum upon Spenser. Next appeared his smaller 
poems, such as “ The Tears of the Muses,” “ Mother Hubbard,” etc., in 1591; 
“Daphnaida,” 1592; “Amoretti” and “ Epithalamium,” 1595. The last 
named related to his courtship and marriage. 

About the 3 ame time appeared “Elegy of Astrophel,” on the death of 
the lamented Sidney. In the excitement incident to the rebellion in Ireland, 
Spenser met with reverses that reduced him to poverty. The English set¬ 
tlers who occupied the crown lands, were the objects of the hatred of the 
natives. Spenser, with the others, had been often harsh and oppressive, and 
he was an advocate of arbitrary power in the government of Ireland. At 
length the storm burst upon him. The insurgents attacked Kilcolman, and 
having robbed and plundered, set fire to the castle. In the excitement Spen¬ 
ser and his wife escaped, but an infant child of the poet perished in the 
flames. 

Spenser then went to London, where he died as stated in the beginning 
of this sketch, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, near the tomb of Chau¬ 
cer. The Earl of Essex defrayed the funeral expenses, and his hearse attend¬ 
ants were his brother poets, who threw “mournful elegies” into his grave. 
Thirty years later, Anne, Countess of Dorset, erected a monument over his 
grave. “ Spenser is the most luxuriant and melodious of all our descriptive 
poets,” and in his style he has never been surpassed. 




FRANK R. STOCKTON 
































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


403 


FBARK R STOCKTOR. 


Frank E. Stockton was Dorn in Philadelphia, Pa., April 5, 1834. 

His father, William S. Stockton, is remembered as a prominent and 
aggressive member of the laity of the Methodist church and he edited and 
published a life of Charles and John Wesley. So strict was the father, it is 
recorded, that he kept Frank and his brother John out of Sunday school 
from fear they would come in contact with bad boys, and that he would cross 
the street rather than walk in the shadow of a theatre. On the other hand 
the boys possessed a decided taste for deviltry, and their boyish pranks are 
still remembered by those associated with their early days. 

Their early schooling was under the guidance of a private instructor. 
Later Frank attended the public schools of Philadelphia, and in his 
eighteenth year finished with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. 

At the early age of ten he showed his taste for literature and com¬ 
posed some verses, and shortly after began writing short stories. After leav¬ 
ing school he joined a literary club and it was here that his “Ting-a-Ling” 
stories were first read, and later printed in the “Riverside Magazine.” 

Though he had written several short stories, it was the enigma of the 
“Lady or the Tiger” that first stamped him as a genius. His unique stories 
always hit the mark, and for originality of plot and freshness of humor 
stand alone. Edwardj Eggleston said of him that his mind possesses one 
chamber denied the rest of mankind. Though his stories come at irregular 
intervals, they are always welcomed. His first long story, “The Late Mrs. 
Null,” is perhaps his strongest production. “Rudder Grange,” “Watch¬ 
maker’s Wife,” “Christmas Wreck,” “House of Martha,” “Rudder Grangers 
Abroad” and “Bee Man of Orn,” are other of his published works, 




404 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, 


Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecti¬ 
cut, June 15, 1812. Her father was Dr. Lyman Beecher, a distinguished 
clergyman. In 1833, with her father, she removed to Cincinnati, where, in 
1836, she was married to the Bev. Calvin Stowe, who afterward became pro¬ 
fessor at Bowdoin College, and at Andover Theological School. 

Several stories which she had written for the Cincinnati “Gazette” and 
other periodicals, were collected and published- in a volume entitled “The 
Mayflower.” In 1851 she commenced “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,“ in the Wash¬ 
ington “National Era.” The story was afterward published in Boston in 
two volumes. “Its success was without a parallel in the literature of any 
age. Nearly half a million copies were sold in this country and a consider¬ 
ably larger number in England. It was translated into every language of 
Europe, and into Arabic and Armenian. It was dramatized and acted in 
nearly every theatre in the world.” In 1853 she visited Europe and was 
received with gratifying attention. “Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands” 
was published upon her return from Europe. In 1856 appeared “Dred, a 
Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp.” This work produced but slight impres¬ 
sion. The success of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” probably removed the charm of 
novelty in the subject of her new story. “The Minister’s Wooing” appeared 
in book form in 1859. “Agnes of Sorrento” and “The Pearl of Orr’s Island” 
were published in 1862; “House and Home Papers,” in 1864; “The Chim¬ 
ney Corner,” in 1865: “Little Foxes,” 1865; “Queer Little People,” 1867; 
“Oldtown Folks,” 1869; “Pink and White Tyranny,” 1871; “My Wife and 
I,” 1872. Probably the great mistake in her literary work was made in pub- 

















I 










IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


407 


lishing “The True Story of Lady Byron’s Life.” If true it should not have 
been told, but the story is thought not to be true. 

Mrs. Stowe has written very extensively, and her published works enti¬ 
tle her to a place among the greatest authors of fiction. While her fame 
rests upon her first great book, yet all of her works contain excellent quali¬ 
ties. Her genius is rare and original. For several years she has spent the 
greater part of her time in her Florida home, in company with her husband 
and daughters. 

It is customary with most authors to classify female writers as the wife 
or sister or some other relative of some man. Mrs. Stowe, however, needs 
not the name of her husband, nor the world-wide fame of the Beechers to 
give her a place in the front ranks of literature. The world knows her as 
well as it knows her relatives, and its admiration for her is richly merited. 


E. C. STEDMAN. 


Edmund Clarence Stedman, one of the popular living American poets 
and critics, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, October 8, 1833. 

In 1849 he entered Yale College, but was suspended in 1852 and did 
not return. The success of his literary labor, however, induced the trustees 
of Yale to restore the poet to his class in 1871, and bestow upon him the 
degree of A. M. 

He commenced his literary life first by editing the “Norwich Tribune,” 
and later the “Winsted Herald.” In 1855 he settled in New York, and four 
years later became a writer for the “Tribune/ 4 Upon the breaking out of 
the late war he became an army correspondent for the “World,” a position 
he held until 1863, when he became private secretary to Attorney General 






408 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Dates at Washington. All of the trusts thus far imposed on him were dis¬ 
charged with credit to himself and employers. 

In 1860 he published “Poems, Lyric and Idyllic;” in 1864, “Alice 
of Monmouth, an Idyl of the Great War, and Other Poems.” In 1864 he 
also entered New York as a stock broker, and has continued the banking bus¬ 
iness in connection with his literary work. In I860' he published “The 
Blameless Prince;” 18T3, his “Complete Poems;” and “Victorian Poets,” a 
volume of critical studies, in 1875. 

He has written numerous poems that are not only very popular, but are 
the product of a high order of genius. Among them we may mention, “The 
Doorstep,” “Pan in Wall Street,” “At Twilight,” “ John Brown of Ossa- 
watomie,” “The Blameless Prince,” and “Alice of Monmouth.” He has 
also shown himself to be one of our best living critics. Occasionally we 
meet with an excellent article from his pen, and we are always delighted witli 
his easy, graceful style. In the reviews he frequently makes of prominent 
literary characters he is just and impartial, never measuring them by the 
rules of personal fancy or prejudice, but always by the accepted standards of 
excellence. 


JONATHAN SWIFT. 


Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, November 30, 1667, and 
he died October 19, 1745. 

His parents were of English descent. His grandfather, vicar of Good¬ 
rich, in Herefordshire, lost his fortune through his activity in the cause of 
Charles I, in the Civil War. “Three of the vicar’s sons settled in Ireland, 
and Jonathan Swift, father of the celebrated author, was bred to the law in 
Dublin, but died in great poverty before the birth of his distinguished son.” 
Although born into poverty and orphanage, Swift afterward became one of 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


409 


the most remarkable men of his age. His entire dependence upon his uncle 
for support is a circumstance that seems to have made a deep impression 
upon his haughty soul. Sir Walter Scott tells us that Swift observed his 
birthday as an occasion “ not of joy, but of sorrow,” and he was accustomed 
to spending the day in sorrowful laments that he was thus born. 

Swift was sent to Trinity College, Dublin, where, at the age of twenty- 
one, he was permitted to receive his degree by special favor. Sir William 
Temple, a distant relative of Swift’s mother, received him into his own 
house. In 1692 he entered Oxford, where he took his M. A. degree. His 
first intention was to make the ministry a profession, and for this purpose 
he procured a position in the Diocese of Comar in Ireland, at an income of 
£100 per annum. Soon disgusted with the life and poor pay of an obscure 
country clergyman, he abandoned his former intention and returned to Moor 
Park, the house of Sir William Temple. Upon the death of Temple in 
1699, Swift accompanied Lord Berkley to Ireland as chaplain. From this 
nobleman he obtained the rectory of Aghar and other appointments amount¬ 
ing in all to £200 per annum. 

As a political writer Swift sided with the Whigs, and when in England 
associated with Addison, Steele and Halifax. In 1704 the “ Tale of a Tub” 
was published. This is “the wildest and wittiest of all polemical or contro¬ 
versial works.” Not receiving the attention of the ministry that he thought 
due him, he left the Whigs and went over to the Tory administration. Here 
he was received with open arms, and he at once passed into the inner 
chamber of the hearts of the new people. “ He carried with him shining 
weapons for party warfare—irresistible and unscrupulous satire, steady hate, 
and a dauntless spirit.” His new allies gave him the deanery of St. Pat¬ 
rick’s in 1713. At first Swift was greatly disliked by the Irish people, but 
by the “ Drapier’s Letters” and other works he soon gained great popularity. 
He received all the heart of the Irish people, and became more than king of 
the rabble. In dealing with the people, “ kisses and curses were alternately 
on his lips.” 

Finally his reason gave way after several attacks of giddiness and 
deafness. The fits of lunacy were followed by the dementia of old age. For 




410 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


three years before his death he was unable to utter more than a few words 
and broken exclamations. Soon this wreck of a mighty intellect sank into 
speechless silence, his spirit passed away, and he was buried in St. Patrick’s 
Cathedral, amidst the tears and prayers of his countrymen. Swift seems to 
have had a presentiment of the sad close of his life. While in company 
with Young and some other friends he was observed standing and gazing 
upward at a noble elm which in its uppermost branches was much decayed. 
Pointing to it he said: “I shall be like that tree; I shall die at the top.” 
Most of his fortune of £10,000 he left to found a lunatic asylum at Dublin. 

Swift wrote much poetry which is excellent. He succeeded in his 
work because he never attempted to rise above this visible diurnal sphere. 
However, we must ever look to “Gulliver’s Travels” and the “Tale of a Tub” 
as the chief corner-stone of Swift’s fame. The purity of his prose style 
renders it a model of English composition. He could wither with his irony 
and invective; excite to mirth with his wit and invention; transport as 
with wonder at his marvelous powers of grotesque and ludicrous combina¬ 
tion, his knowledge of human nature—piercing quite through the deeds of 
men —and his matchless power of feigning reality and assuming at pleasure 
different characters and situations in life. In 1814 his works were pub¬ 
lished by Sir Walter Scott, in nineteen volumes. 


BAYARD TAYLOR. 


Bayard Taylor was born in Kennett Square, Chester County, Penn¬ 
sylvania, January 11, 1825, and died in Berlin, December, 19, 1878, while 
serving as United States minister to Germany. 

At the age of seventeen he became an apprentice in a printing office, 
where he received important training. This business, however, was soon 








JAMES BAYARD TAYLOR, 















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


413 


abandoned, for, at the age of nineteen, with only $140 in his pocket, he set 
out for a tour in Europe. From 1844 to 1845 he made a pedestrian tour on 
the continent. Being a close observer, he filled his mind with valuable and 
interesting information, the result of which appeared in 1846, in “ Views 
Afoot, or Europe Seen with the Knapsack and Staff.” This work showed 
Taylor to be unusually happy in the use of the pen. The favor with which 
it was received indicated that he might win success as a traveler and an 
author. 

Upon returning to this country he edited a newspaper in Phoenixville, 
Pennsylvania, for one year; then removing to New York he wrote for the “ Lit¬ 
erary World” for a short time. Subsequently he joined the editorial staff of 
the “ Tribune, ” in which paper many of his works of travel were first printed. 
In 1849 he went to California, and visited Mexico on his way home, the 
result of which appeared in 1850 in “A Voyage to California.” 

In 1851 he set out on an extended tour in the East, in the course of 
which he ascended the Nile to lat. 12° 30' N., and afterward traversed large 
portions of Asia Minor, Syria, and Europe; and in the latter part of 
1852 he made a new departure from England, crossing Asia to Cal¬ 
cutta, and thence proceeding to China, where he joined the expedition 
of Commodore Perry to Japan. After this he made several other 
journeys. In 1862-’63 he was secretary of legation at St. Petersburg, 
and part of the time charge d’ affairs. In 1874 he revisited Egypt, 
and attended the millennial celebration in Iceland. In February, 1878, he 
was appointed minister to Germany, where he had previously resided for 
several years at intervals. Taylor had become a fine German scholar, and 
his appointment as minister gave great satisfaction to that people. The 
above gives a brief outline of his travels. He also gained a reputation as a 
public lecturer. 

His literary labors were extensive and valuable, as will be seen by the 
following list of published works: besides “ Views Afloat, ” he published “ El 
Dorado, or Adventures in the Path of Empire,” in two volumes, in 1850; 
“ A Journey to Central Africa,” 1854; “The Lands of the Saracen,” 1854; 
“A Visit to India, China, and Japan,” 1855; “Northern Travel: Summer 



414 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and Winter Pictures of Sweden, Denmark, and Lapland,” published in London 
in 1857, and in New York, 1858; “Travels in Greece and Bussia,” 1859; 
“At Home and Abroad, a Sketch of Life, Scenery and Men,” 1859, and a 
second series in 1862; “Colorado, a Summer Trip,” 1867; “By-ways of 
Europe,” 1869; and ‘'Egypt and Iceland,” 1874. The above works, which 
record the results of his travels, are valuable and interesting, yet they only 
close one line of his authorship. Still more important is the record of 
his muse. 

His volumes of poems are: “ Ximena, or the Battle of the Sierra Mo- 
rena, and Other Poems,” published at Philadelphia in 1844; “Bhymes of 
Travel, Ballads, and Other Poems,” 1848; “The American Legend,” a poem 
delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard University, in 1850; 
“Book of Bomances, Lyrics and Songs,” 1851; “ Poems and Ballads,” 1854; 
“Poems of the Orient,” 1855; “Poems of Home and Travel,” a selection 
from his early lyrics, published at Boston in 1855; “The Poet’s Journal,” 
1862; “The Pictures of St. John,” 1866; “The Ballad of Abraham Lin¬ 
coln,” 1869; “The Masque of the Gods,” 1872; “Lars, a Pastoral of Nor¬ 
way,” 1873; “The Prophet, a Tragedy,” 1874; and “Home Pastorals, 
Ballads, and Lyrics,” 1875. In addition to the above works, he also pub¬ 
lished the following novels: “Hannah Thurston, a Story of American Life,” 
in 1863; “John Godfrey’s Fortunes,” 1864; “The Story of Kennett,” 1866; 
and “Joseph and His Friend,” 1870. He also translated in the original 
metres both parts of Goethe’s “Faust,” in 1870-’71; edited a “Cyclopedia 
of Modern Travel,” 1856; and an “Illustrated Library of Travel, Explora¬ 
tion, and Adventure,” 1872-’74. Other translations and works appeared 
which we need not mention here. At the time of his death he was engaged 
in writing the life of Goethe. 

Taylor’s works have been very popular throughout the literary world, 
and they continue to hold the public favor. They have been translated into 
the German, French and Bussian languages. He is considered as one of 
the greatest of modern travelers. His observations always appeared in inter¬ 
esting and instructive volumes. He also won high rank as a novelist. 
While he gained renown in several lines of authorship, yet we must turn to 



BENJAMIN F. TAYLOR 






















































































































































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


415 


bis poetry as the chief source of his fame. Much of his poetical writings is 
of a high order. His “Centennial Ode,” which he read on July 4, 1876, is 
a masterpiece, worthy of his country and his genius. 

Bayard Taylor deserves rank among the most useful and popular 
authors of his time. 


BENJAMIN F. TAYLOR. 


Benjamin Franklin Taylor, one of America’s most gifted and enter¬ 
taining authors and lecturers, was born in Lowville, New York, in 1822. 
He received his education at Madison University, New York, under the tutor¬ 
ship of his father, who was at that time president of the institution. Mr. 
Taylor has been an active and popular worker in the literary field. “The 
Attractions of Language” appeared in 1845, and “January and June,” in 
1853. No one who admires beautiful work-pictures, fine sentiments, and a 
clear and entertaining literary style, can afford to be without the volumes of 
B. F. Taylor. 

For many years he was literary editor of the Chicago “Evening Jour¬ 
nal.” During the late war he was the “Journal's” principal war corre¬ 
spondent. Many of his letters have been gathered together and published 
under the title of “Pictures in Camp and Field.” 

His pictures are so perfect, and his words so admirably selected, that 
in reading them we live again our soldier life. We hear the rattle of mus¬ 
ketry, and the roar of artillery, and see the advancing columns and terrible 
conflict as the armies contest in a hand-to-hand struggle; and when the 
winds have lifted the black smoke, we see the terrible work of battle, and we 
again earnestly pray a kind Father to spread the mantle mourning of night 
over the scene. 







lie 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Mr. Taylor published “The World on Wheels ” in 1873, and “Old Time 
Pictures and Sheaves of Rhyme ” in 1874. All of his works have passed 
through several editions. He has been very popular on the lyceum plat¬ 
form. 

It will pay us, kind friends, to read the volumes of Taylor. They con¬ 
tain the beautiful wish that “ our lives and his may not be composed of ran¬ 
dom ‘ scores,’ but be a beautiful anthem, harmony in all its parts, melody in 
all its tones; not a strain wanting, not a note out of tune; till ‘ the daugh¬ 
ters of music are brought low,’ and the life-anthem is ended.” 

“ But isn’t it a pleasant thought that perhaps somebody may take up 
the tune, when we are dead—not a note lost, nor a jar, nor a discord, but 
all swan-like harmony ? Perhaps ! perhaps ! There is something hollow, 
like a knell, in that word. The veil that hides the future is woven of ‘per¬ 
haps in it the greatest ills have their solace, the brightest joys their 
cloud. ” 


ALFRED TENNYSON, 


Alfred Tennyson was born at Somersby, near Spilsby, England, 
August 6, 1810 (given 1809 by some, and January 12, 1810, by others). 

His father was the Rev. George Clayton Tennyson, LL. D., a Lincoln¬ 
shire clergyman, who is described as “a tall, striking and imposing man, full 
of accomplishments and parts, a strong nature, high souled, high tempered. ” 
Alfred’s mother was the daughter of the Rev. Stephen Fyche. To the Rev. 
Tennyson were born eleven or twelve children, seven of whom were sons. 
The three eldest, Frederick, Charles and Alfred, formed a brotherhood of 
poets, though Alfred is the only one who gained great literary distinction. 

Tennyson was fortunate in the influence of his home. The chil¬ 
dren were a noble little clan of poets and knights, coming from a 






LORD ALFRED TENNYSON 












IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


419 


knightly race. Somersby was so far away from the world, so behindhand 
in its echoes, that though the early part of the century was stirring with 
the clang of legions, few of its rumors seem to have reached the children. 
They never heard, at the time, of the battle of Waterloo. They grew up 
together, playing their own games, living their own life; and where is such 
life to be found as that of a happy, eager family of boys and girls, before 
Doubt, the steps of Time, the shocks of Chance, the blows of Death, have 
come to shake their creed ? Mrs. Tennyson, the mother of the family, was 
a sweet and gentle and most imaginative woman; so kind-hearted that it 
passed into a proverb, and the wicked inhabitants of a neighboring village 
used to bring their dogs to her windows and beat them, in order to be bribed 
by the gentle lady to leave off, or to make advantageous bargains by selling the 
worthless curs. She was intensely, fervently religious. After her husband’s 
death (he had added to the rectory and made it suitable for his large family) 
she still lived at Somersby with her children. The daughters were growing 
up; the older sons were going to college. Frederick, the eldest, went first 
to Trinity, Cambridge, and his brothers followed him there in turn. Life 
was opening for them, they were seeing new aspects and places, and making 
new friends and bringing them home to their Lincolnshire rectory. 

At an early age Tennyson showed signs of poetic powers. On one 
occasion, when the members of the family were going to church, Charles 
handed Alfred a slate and gave him a subject for a poem. Upon returning 
home, Alfred took the slate to his brother, with a poem covering both sides. 
Charles scanned the lines, then handed the slate back with the encouragement, 
“ Yes, Alfred, you can write. ” The next instance was not so encouraging. 
Upon the death of his grandmother the young poet was asked to write an 
elegy that would be appropriate. The task was performed, whereupon 
Alfred’s grandfather handed the boy ten shillings, saying, “ There, that is 
the first money you have earned by your poetry, and, take my word for it, it 
will be the last.” But the youth persevered, and, before he was nineteen, 
published a volume of poems conjointly with his brother Charles. In 1829 
he gained the Chancellor’s medal for an English prize poem, his subject 
being “ Timbuctoo, ” 





420 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


Keferring to Tennyson’s early days, William Howitt has written: 
“ You may hear his voice, but where is the man ? He is wandering in some 
dreamland, beneath the shade of old and charmed forests, by far-off shores, 
where 

‘all night 

The plunging seas draw backward from the land 
Their moon-led waters white 

by the old mill-dam, thinking of the merry miller and his pretty daughter; 
or wandering over the woodlands where 

‘Norland whirlwinds blow.’ 

“ From all these places—from the silent corridor of an ancient convent, 
from some shrine where a devoted knight recites his vows, from the dreary 
monotony of ‘the moated grange,’ or the forest beneath the ‘talking oak’— 
comes the voice of Tennyson, rich, dreamy, passionate, yet not impatient, 
musical with the airs of chivalrous ages, yet'mingling in his song the theme 
and spirit of those that are yet to come.” 

7Tis fame was established in 1830, when he published “ Poems, Chiefly 
Lyrical, by Alfred Tennyson. ” From that date to this—a period of fifty-five 
years—he has been a distinguished character in English letters. In 1833 
he issued another volume, giving unusual signs of poetic power. This 
volume was handled severely by critics, which was the cause, perhaps, of the 
delay of nearly nine years before his next volume appeared. The young 
poet received the criticism in a true scholarly spirit, and set about correcting 
his faults. The two volumes which he brought out in 1842 raised him to 
the position of absolute superiority. These volumes, entitled “Poems,” 
contained many of his first poems completely revised and many new ones. 
The following appeared in the list: “ Morte d’Arthur,” “Godiva,” “The 
May Queen,” “Dora,” “Talking Oak” and “Locksley Hall.” These poems 
are among the best in the language, and they alone would render the 
author’s name immortal. “Locksley Hall” is Tennyson’s most finished work. 

From the date of the above works Tennyson has stood at the head of 
English poetry. In 1847 appeared “The Princess, a Medley;” 1850, “In 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


421 


Memoriam, ” a volume of short poems written as a tribute of respect to his 
beloved friend, Arthur Hallam, who died in his twenty-third year. 

“ At the time Arthur Hallam died he was engaged to he married to 
a sister of the poet. She was scarcely seventeen. One of the sonnets 
addressed by Hallam to his betrothed was written when he began to teach 
her Italian: 


‘ Lady, I bid thee to a sunny dome, 

Ringing with echoes of Italian songs; 

Henceforth to thee these magic halls belong, 

And all the pleasant place is like a home. 

Hark, on the right, with full piano tone, 

Old Dante’s voice encircles all the air; 

Hark yet again, like flute-tones mingling rare 
Comes the keen sweetness of Petrarca’s moan. 

Pass thou the lintel freely; without fear 

Feast on the music. I do better know thee 
Than to suspect this pleasure thou dost owe me 
Will wrong thy gentle spirit, or make less dear 
That element whence thou must draw thy life- 
An English maiden and an English wife.’ 

“As we read the pages of this little book we come upon more than one 
happy moment saved out of the past, hours of delight and peaceful friend¬ 
ship, saddened by no foreboding, and complete in themselves. 

‘Alfred, I would that you behold me now, 

Sitting beneath an ivied mossy wall. 

* * * * Above my head 

Dialates immeasurable a wild of leaves, 

Seeming received into the blue expanse. 

That vaults the summer noon.’ 

“ There is something touching in the tranquil ring.of the voice calling 
out in the summer noontide with all a young man’s expansion.” The young 
friends had played and studied and traveled together, and they had antici¬ 
pated a brilliant and happy life in the society of each other. But the spell 
was broken by Arthur’s sudden death while traveling with his father in 
Austria. The memory of his friend is tenderly embalmed by Tennyson in 
“ In Memoriam.” 




422 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


By this time the poet’s fame was so thoroughly established that, upon 
the death of Wordsworth, in 1850, the queen appointed Alfred Tennyson Poet 
Laureate. In 1852 he wrote an “ Ode on the Death of the Duke of Welling¬ 
ton ; ”1855, “ Maud, and other Poems1859, The “ Idyls of the King. ” The 
last named is a great connected poem, dealing with the very highest interests 
of man. The work at once took its place among the greatest poems in the 
English language. “Enoch Arden, and other Poems” appeared in 1864; 
“The Holy Grail,” “ Pelleus and Etarre,” and “The Windows, or Songs of 
Wrens,” set to music, 1870; “The Tournament,” and “Gareth and 
Lynette,” 1872. 

At Somersby Tennyson met Miss Sellwood, and their acquaintance 
resulted in their marriage. Miss Sellwood came from an ancient and hon¬ 
orable family, her mother being a sister of Sir John Franklin. Shortly after 
their marriage they settled at Freshwater, in the Isle of Wight, where they 
still live. In addition to this home they own an estate in Surrey, to which 
they retreat when the tourists and visitors become too oppressive in the 
Isle of Wight. 

He died at Alworth House, near Hoslsmere, Surrey, Oct. 6, 1892, of old 
age, passing away peacefully, after several days of painless illness. In the 
afternoon of his last day he asked for his copy of Shakespeare, and turning 
to the fourth act of Cymbaline, he placed his hand upon the line, “Fear no 
more the heat of the sun,” and telling his son not to let it be removed, he 
kept it by him till he died, and it was buried with him. 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


423 


THACKERAY. 


William Makepeace Thackeray was born at Calcutta in 1811, and 
died suddenly on December 24, 1863. 

His family was originally from Yorkshire. His father, at the time of 
his death being but thirty years of age, was secretary to the Board of 
Revenue at Calcutta. 

The son, with his widowed mother, left India, and arrived in England 
in 1817. “ When I first saw England,” he said in one of his lectures, “she 

was in mourning for the young Princess Charlotte, the hope of the empire. 
I came from India as a child, and our ship touched at an island on the way 
home, where my black servant took me a walk over rocks and hills, till we 
passed a garden where we saw a man walking. ‘That is he,’ said the black 
man; ‘that is Bonaparte. He eats three sheep every day, and all the 
children he can lay hands on.’ There were people in the British dominions 
besides that poor black who ha(J jn equal terror and horror of the Corsican 
ogre.” Young Thackeray was placed in the Charterhouse School of London, 
which had formerly received as grown boys or scholars the melodious poets 
Crashaw, Addison, Steele, and John Wesley. From the Charterhouse Thack¬ 
eray went to Trinity College, Cambridge, and, whilst residing there in 1829, 
he made his first appearance as an author. In conjunction with a college 
friend he carried on for a short time a light humorous weekly miscellany 
entitled “The Snob.” 

In 1830-’31 he was one of “at least a score of young English lads who 
used to live at Weimar for study, or sport, or society, ” and who were received 
with the kindest hospitality by the Grand Duke and Duchess. He did not 
remain at college to take his degree. His great ambition was to be an artist, 
20 





424 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and for this purpose he studied at Rome and Paris. On attaining his 
majority he became possessed of considerable fortune, but some losses and 
speculations reduced his patrimony. Thackeray first became known through 
“Frazer’s Magazine,” to which he was for several years a regular con¬ 
tributor under the names of “Michael Angelo Titmarsh, George Fitz- 

Boodle, Esquire, ’’“Charles Yellowplush,” etc.—names typical of his artistic 

and satirical predilections. Tales, criticisms, descriptive sketches and poetry 
were dashed off by his ready pen. They were of unequal merit, and for 
some time attracted but little attention; but John Sterling, among others, 
recognized the genius of Thackeray in his tale of “ The Hoggarty Diamond, ” 
and ranked its author with Fielding and Goldsmith. His style was that of 
the scholar combined with the shrewdness and knowledge of a man of the 
world. “ Titmarsh” had both seen and read much. His school and college 
life, his foreign travels and residence abroad, his artistic and literary 
experiences, even his losses, supplied a wide field for observation, reflection 
and satire. He was thirty years of age or more ere he made any bold push 
for fame. 

In 1836 Thackeray joined with his step-father and others in starting 
« The Constitutional,” a daily newspaper, which, not being a paying invest¬ 
ment, was suspended in about a year. He entered the Middle Temple, and 
was admitted to the bar in 1818, but did not make law a profession. Under 
assumed names, he published “ The Paris Sketch-Book, two volumes, in 
1840; “The Second Funeral of Napoleon” and “The Chronicles of the 
Drum,” 1841; and “ The Irish Sketch-Book,” 1843. These works were not 
popular, although they contained some fine passages. About the same time 
“ Barry Lyndon, ” one of his best short satires, appeared in Frazer s Maga¬ 
zine.” “ Punch,” the wittiest of English journals, was started in 1841, and 
Thackeray contributed to its columns. His articles signed “The Fat Con¬ 
tributor” became famous. Next appeared “Jeames s Diary and the Snob 
Papers,” noted for their irony and wit. He visited the East, ana wrote 
“ Notes of a Journey from Cornhill to Grand Cairo, by way of Lisbon, 
Athens, Constantinople and Jerusalem, by M. A. Titmarsh, which was 
published in 1846. In the following year appeared a small Christmas book 







% 































































































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


427 


entitled “Mrs. Perkins’ Ball.” In February, 1847, he commenced ‘‘Vanity 
Fair, a Novel Without a Hero.” This work was published in monthly parts, 
and illustrated by himself. As the story advanced it grew in interest, till its 
immense popularity had placed the author among the greatest of English nov¬ 
elists and social satirists. From that time he wrote over his proper name. 
In 1848 appeared “Our Street,” another Christmas volume, to which “Dr. 
Birch and His Young Friend” was added in 1849, as a companion volume. 
In 1849-’50 he published his second great work, “ The History of Pendennis,” 
as a monthly serial, in which he describes the gentleman of the present age. 
In 1851 Thackeray published “The Kickleburys on the Bhine,” a Christmas 
tale written by M. A. Titmarsh. This bitter satire was reviewed by the 
“ Times” newspaper, and it was charged that the novelist represented only 
the dark side of life. Thackeray replied in “An Essay on Thunder and 
Small Beer, ” prefixed to a second edition of the Christmas volume. 

In the summer of 1851 Thackeray appeared as a lecturer. His subject 
was “The English Humorists of the Eighteenth Century;” and all the rank 
and fashion, with no small portion of the men of letters of London, flocked 
to Willis’ rooms to hear the popular novelist descant on the lives and 
works of his great predecessors in fiction from Swift to Goldsmith. The 
lectures were afterward repeated in Scotland and in America; and they are 
now published, forming one of the most delightful little books in the 
language. To Swift Thackeray was perhaps too severe, to Fielding too 
indulgent; Steele is painted en beau in cordial love, and with little shadow; 
yet we know not where the reader will find in the same limited compass so 
much just and discriminating criticism, or so many fine thoughts and amus¬ 
ing anecdotes as those which this loving brother of the craft has treasured up 
regarding his fellows of the last century. The Queen Anne period touched 
upon in these lectures formed the subject of Thackeray’s next novel, 
“Esmond,” published in three volumes in 1852. The work is in the form 
of an autobiography. The hero, Col. Henry Esmond, is a cavalier and 
Jacobite, who, after serving his country abroad, mingles with its wits and 
courtiers at home, plots for the restoration of the Chevalier St. George, and 
finally retires to Virginia, where, in his old age, he writes this memoir of 



428 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


himself and of the noble family of Castlewood, of which he is a member. 
It is a grand and melancholy story. 

In 1852 he published in monthly parts, “ The Newcomes : Memoirs of 
a Most Respectable Family. Edited by Arthur Pendennis, Esq.” This work 
is considered his masterpiece. The leading theme or moral of the story is 
the misery occasioned by ill-assorted marriages. 

In 1855-’56 he again entered the lecture field. Crossing the Atlantic 
he made a tour of the United States. He had prepared four new lectures 
upon “ The Four Georges, ” which he delivered here to large audiences. Re¬ 
turning to his home, he repeated his lectures in England and Scotland. In 
1857 appeared “The Virginians,” a tale of the time of George II. In 
1860-’62 Thackeray conducted the “Cornhill Magazine,” and in the pages 
of this popular miscellany appeared his “Roundabout Papers”—a series of 
light, graceful essays and sketches; also two novels, “Lovel, the Widower,” 
and “Philip on His Way Through the World,” which were scarcely worthy 
of his reputation. He had commenced another story,“Dennis Duval,” of 
which four monthly portions were published; and he contemplated Memoirs 
of the reign of Queen Anne, as a continuation of Macaulay’s History. All 
of his schemes, however, were frustrated by his sudden and lamentable death. 
His health had long been precarious, and on the day preceding his death he 
had been in great suffering. Still he moved about; “he was out several 
times,” says Shirley Brooks, “and was seen in Palace Gardens, Kensington, 
reading a book. Before the dawn on Thursday, December 24, 1863, he was 
where there is no night.” “Never more,” said the “Times,” “shall the fine 
head of Mr. Thackeray, with its mass of silvery hair, be seen towering among 
us.” He had died in bed alone and unseen, struggling, as it appeared, with 
a violent spasmodic attack, which had caused the effusion on the brain, of 
which he died. 

Thackeray and Dickens are two important characters in social history. 
The former possessing the greater culture, and dealing with the follies of the 
higher classes, did much for English society, while the latter, with greater 
genius, accomplished the same results by holding up to ridicule the vices of 
the poor. 







t 














ALBION W. TOURGEE 

















































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


431 


ALBION W. TOURGEE. 


Albion Winegar Tourgee, American author, was born May 2, 1838, at 
Williarasfield, Ohio. He studied at Kingsville Academy and later attended 
Rochester University. On the breaking out of the war he was one of the 
first to enlist as a volunteer in the Union army. April 17, 1861, he became 
a private in the Twenty-seventh New York volunteers. He was wounded at Bull 
Run and discharged. The following year he was commissioned first-lieutenant, 
and recruited Company G, One-hundred-and-twenty-fifth Ohio,V. I. In 1864 
he resigned on account of wounds and disease contracted in Salisbury and 
Libby Prisons. 

He married Emma L. Kilbourne, of Conneaut, Ohio, in 1863. At the 
close of the war, settled at Greensboro, North Carolina, where he practiced law 
and became an editor. He was an active member of the Southern Loyalist 
Convention, held in Philadelphia, in 1866. He was a member of the constitu¬ 
tional convention of North Carolina in 1868, and so prominent was his part 
that the constitution drawn up is sometimes called “Tourgee Constitution.” 
He was judge of the Superior Court from 1868 to 1874. He is author of 
“North Carolina Form Book,” “The North Carolina Code with Notes,” and 
“Digest of Cited Cases.” 

He is also author of the following stories: “A Royal Gentleman,” “A 
FooPs Errand,” a novel that attracted wide attention, “Bricks Without 
Straw,” “John Eax and Mamelon,”“An Appeal to Caesar,” “The Veteran and 
His Pipe,” “Button’s Inn,” “Black Ice,” “'Letters to a King. ”From 1882 to 
1884 he was editor of “Our Continent,” a magazine published in 
Philadelphia. 

He has contributed much to political education. His style is aggressive, 
fearless, and graphic. He lives at Mayville, New York, and devotes his 
time to literary pursuits. 





432 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


GEE. LEW WALLACE. 


Gen. Lew Wallace was born in Fountain county, Indiana, in 1827. 
His father, David Wallace, was formerly Governor of that State. 

Lewis Wallace studied law and practiced at the bar for a time, but 
during the Mexican War abandoned his profession, joined the army as second 
lieutenant of First Indiana Volunteers. Later he returned to the practice of 
law, and was elected to the State Senate for one term. At the beginning of 
the Civil War he was Adjutant General of the State. In April, 1861, he ac¬ 
cepted command of the Eleventh Indiana Volunteers. In September, of the 
same year, he was commissioned Brigadier General of Volunteers stationed 
in Kentucky. He commanded a division at the capture of Fort Donelson, and 
for gallantry was promoted Major General of Volunteers. In 1865 he was 
a member of the commission which sat for the trial of persons implicated in 
the assassination of President Lincoln, and was president of the court that 
tried Capt. Wirz of Andersonville prison. 

After the war he followed the practice of law, at Crawfordsville, Ind. 
It was here he wrote his first book, “A Fair God,” a story of Mexico. In 
1881 he was Minister to Constantinople, returning to the United States in 
1885. In 1880 appeared “Ben Hur,” and at once leaped into popularity. 
Its sale is still phenomenal. In 1888 was published “The Boyhood of 
Christ.” In 1893 appeared “The Prince of India.” He is a writer of great 
force and originality. He resides in Crawfordsville, and devotes his time to 
literary pursuits. His wife, Susan E. Wallace, is a brilliant writer of his¬ 
torical and descriptive sketches. 





GEN. LEW WALLACE. 











































































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


485 


ROBERT BURNS WILSON. 


Robert Burns Wilson, artist-poet of Kentucky, was born at the home 
of his grandfather, in Washington county, Pa., Oct. 30, 1850. His educa¬ 
tion, like that of so many men of genius was wholly in his mother’s hands 
during the plastic period of youth. Commencing his career as an artist, Mr. 
Wilson won a fair renown, but uses the pen with superb success, notwith¬ 
standing the note of sombre pathos running through most of his verses, 
which show more of a powerful strength than of sweetness and light, though 
never lacking true artistic delicacy. His “Fickle Sun of March,” is a bold 
and vivid bit of poetic allegory, containing the pure gold of literary 
merit. His earlier productions were more warmly imaginative—melodious 
fantasies strongly imbued with a phase of light and color peculiar to the ar¬ 
tistic temperament. His recent work has in it more to touch the heart and 
to stir the sympathies because coming closer perhaps, to human life, as in the 
poem “I Shall Find Rest.” His contributions find place in our leading mag¬ 
azines and are highly prized. 

His sun is rising—he may be the morning star of a new galaxy. His 
work grows more and more in touch with the pulse of the world and “the 
world is awakening to the fact that a new day is at hand.” 

Mr. Wilson is by no means a writer of poetic bric-a-brac—he really 
has something to say, and knows how to say it in a way to command atten¬ 
tion, giving promise of future greatness. 




436 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


ISAAC WATTS. 


Dr. Isaac Watts was born at Southampton, July 17, 1674, of parents 
remarkable for their piety and sanctity, and died, after a long life of unusual 
activity and usefulness, seventy-five years later, on the 25th day of Novem¬ 
ber, 1748. 

But for his early inclination to adopt the views of the dissenters, Watts 
would have been placed in the university, but on account of the interest 
taken in this peculiar body he was educated at one of their institutions, 
under the charge of the Bev. Thomas Rowe. At Stoke Newington, in 1698, 
he was chosen assistant minister of an Independent congregation, and four 
years later he assumed entire control. The onerous duties incumbent upon 
one placed in his position soon told upon his health, however, and he was 
compelled to require the services of an assistant. But the force and vigor of 
his vital powers seemed on the wane, and he was compelled to resign the pas¬ 
torate entirely, and in 1712 a benevolent gentleman, Sir Thomas Abney, of 
Abney Park, offered him a place in his household. This Watts accepted, 
and here, surrounded by loving and watchful friends, and in a home of peace, 
and contentment, he passed the remaining thirty-five years of his life. 

When he had lived at Abney Park eight years, he suffered the loss of 
his much-loved friend and benefactor, Sir Thomas Abney. His widow, how¬ 
ever, accorded to Watts the same privileges and benefits he had enjoyed 
before his death, and no change occurred. The most of his time while liv¬ 
ing in this retirement, was spent in study, but he occasionally preached. 
Nearly all his writings are well known and highly prized, both in prose and 
poetry. His treatise on “Logic, or the Right Use of Reason,” and “Improve¬ 
ment of the Mind,”—the latter a supplement of the former,—will always be 






*>:• 


i 



























IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


43$ 


valued for their force of argument and facility of comparison. The greater 
part of his poetry consists of devotional hymns, which find their way to the 
hearts of the people by their unaffected simplicity, their powerful imagery, 
and the zeal they are well calculated to excite. 


J. G. WHITTIER 


John Greenleaf Whittier was born at Haverhill, Mass., December IT, 
1807, and during his longlife he remained unmarried. He belonged to the 
Society of Friends, and his serene and peaceful life, his pure gentle character, 
together with his position as the poet high-priest of America, made him in¬ 
deed the greatest representative of the sect. 

Nothing is known of his ancestors except that they were Friends and 
in full sympathy with the traditions and doctrines of that peace-loving 
organization. Of course they were bitterly opposed and persecuted by the 
Puritans. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony the persecutions were most 
bitter, and the “drab coats and broad-brimmed hats were as hateful to the 
colonists as the features and war paint of the Indians. They were not to 
be exterminated, however, for there was an invincible strength in the 
doctrines of peace which they professed and practiced, and in the simple 
goodness of their lives. Shunned at first, it was not long before they were 
tolerated, and before their influence was felt in the milder manners of their 
Puritan neighbors, who gradually forgot the senseless animosities of their 
ancestors. Such I conceive to be the early colonial history of the Quakers, 
who succeeded in establishing themselves in Massachusetts and elsewhere.” 

At first Whittier received but a brief common school education. He 
worked on his father’s farm in the summer and helped to make snoes in the 
winter. His entire school opportunities were confined to a district school, 





440 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


which was open only about twelve weeks in the year, and to one year of 
academic study. His chances for study at home were limited to about a 
score of volumes, mostly relating to the doctrines of his sect, and the lives of 
its founders. 

Mr. Whittier’s literary life commenced by his contributions to the 
“Haverhill Gazette.” At the age of twenty-one he was selected editor of 
the “American Manufacturer,” a protective tariff journal. The questions 
that were discussed in this journal necessarily required unusual ability; 
but Whittier showed so much mental strength in its columns that in 1830 
he was chosen editor of the “New England Review.” Although a young 
man, he yet sustained himself in the editorial chair formerly occupied by 
George D. Prentice and J. G. C. Brainard. In the “Review” he published a 
“ Life of Brainard,” “ Legends of New England,” and “Mollie Pitcher.” In 
1833 appeared an essay entitled “Justice and Expediency, or Slavery con¬ 
sidered with a View to its Abolition.” 

For a short time he returned from his literary labor to his farm and 
took an active interest in politics. In 1835 he was elected to the Massachu¬ 
setts legislature. In 1839 he became secretary cf the Anti-slavery Society, 
and also editor of the “Pennsylvania Freeman,” at Philadelphia. He 
returned to Amesbury in 1840, and from that date has been known as a man 
of letters. Before this, however, Whittier had written an Indian poem 
entitled “Mogg Megone,” in 1835. This was followed in 1836 by “Voices 
of Freedom,” a series of excellent poems, the last of which appeared 
in 1848. “Leaves from Margaret Smith’s Journal” appeared in 1836; 
“Lays of Home,” 1843; “The Stranger in Lowell,” 1845; and “Super¬ 
naturalism in New England,” 1847, the last two being prose; “Old Portraits 
and Modern Sketches, ” being biographical, and one of his best prose works, 
1850. In 1850 or 1851 appeared a collection entitled “Songs of Labor and 
Other Poems. ” 

“The Songs of Labor” are followed, in the complete edition of Mr. 
Whittier’s poetical works, by upward of fifty poems which are ranged under 
the head of “Miscellaneous.” They are divided into classes or groups, 
“ The Angels of Buena Vista,” “Barclay of Ury,” “The Legend of St. Mark,” 




JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER 















IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


443 


and “ Calef in Boston,” ranking among legendary poems; “Worship,” 
“ Lines Accompanying Manuscript Presented to a Friend,” “Channing,” “To 
the Memory of Charles B. Storrs,” and “Memoirs,” among personal poems; 
and “The Reward,” “To Pius IX,” “ The Men of Old,” “The Peace Con¬ 
vention at Brussels,” “Seed-time and Harvest,” among didactic poems. 
There is a ripeness of thought about these productions which we do not find 
in Mr. Whittier’s earlier verse, and a noticeable grace and beauty of expres¬ 
sion which leave nothing to be desired. “The Chapel of the Hermit” 
appeared in 1853; “Literary Recreations,” another of his excellent prose 
works, 1854; “ The Panorama, and Other Poems,” 1856; “ Home Ballads,” 
1859; “In War Times,” 1864; “Snow-Bound,” 1865. “If I wished to 
give an intelligent foreigner an idea of Mr. Whittier’s genius, and an idea of 
the characteristics of American poetry at the same time, I should ask him to 
read Mr. Whittier’s ‘Snow-Bound.’ This exquisite poem has no prototype in 
English literature, unless Burns’ ‘Cottar’s Saturday Night’ be one, and it 
will be long, I fear, before it has a companion-piece. The materials upon 
which ‘Snow Bound’ is based are of the slightest order, and the wonder is 
that any poet, even the most skillful one, could have made a poem out of 
them. But Mr. Whittier has made a poem which will live, and can no more 
be rivaled by any winter poetry that may be written hereafter, than ‘ Than- 
atopsis’ can be rivaled as a meditation on the universality of death. The 
characters in this little idyl are carefully drawn, and the quiet of the home¬ 
stead during the storm is in striking contrast to the out-door bustle which 
succeeds it. There is no evidence anywhere that the poem cost a moment’s 
labor; everything is naturally introduced, and the reflections, which are 
manly and pathetic, are among the finest that Mr. Whittier has ever written. 
‘Snow Bound’ at once authenticated itself as an idyl of New England life 
and manners.” 

In 1867 appeared “The Tent on the Beach, and Other Poems;” 1868, 
“Among the Hills;” 1870, “Miriam, and Other Poems;” 1872, “The 
Pennsylvania Pilgrim, and Other Poems.” Whittier’s “Legends of New 
England ” were afterward worked out in several beautiful poems and pre¬ 
sented in “Mogg Megone,” “Bride of Pennacook,” “Cassandra,” “South' 



444 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


wick,” and “Mary Garvin.” His fame is secured even by his shorter 
poems. Everybody knows “Randolph of Roanoke,” “Maud Muller,” 
“Skipper Ireson’s Ride,” “Telling the Bees,” “Barbara Fritchie,” “My 
Psalm,” “The Barefoot Boy,” and “My Playmate.” “The Hermit of 
Thebaid” is nearly faultless. 

“Mr. Whitter is one of the few American poets who have succeeded in 
obtaining the suffrages of the reading public and of the literary class. Men 
of letters respect his work for its sincerity, simplicity, and downright manli¬ 
ness, and average readers of poetry respect it because they can understand 
it. There is not a grown man or woman in the land who does not readily 
enter into the aspiration and discontent of “Maud Muller,’'and into the 
glowing patriotism of “Barbara Fritchie.” Whether the incident which is 
the inspiration of the latter ever occurred, is more than doubtful; neverthe¬ 
less, the poem is one that the world will not willingly let die. The reputa¬ 
tion of such poems is immediate and permanent, and beyond criticism, favor¬ 
able or otherwise; the touch of nature in them is beyond all art. I should 
never think of comparing ‘Barbara Fritchie’ with Bryant’s ‘0 Mother of a 
Mighty Race,’ but I am sure that it has a thousand readers where Bryant’s 
poem has one. Bryant seldom reached the hearts of his countrymen, but 
his best poems appealed to what was loftiest in their intellects.” 

Mi. Whittier retained the beautiful serenity and benignant expression 
of countenance which made him personally so attractive in old age, up to the 
time of his death, the beauty of a pure and gentle soul,—while his figure re¬ 
mained straight and his step firm, his eye clear and lustrous, even to the end. 

The poet s youthful beauty is said to have been extraordinary_tall, erect 

and well knit, with fine features, dark skin and flashing, deep-set eyes, he 
could not have looked the Quaker to any extent, and in fact we think he was 
a Quaker only to initiate eyes. 

“Over restless wings of Song 
His birthright garb hung loose.” 

It was his privilege to witness a tremendous national development 
both moral and physical. Slavery still existed in the state of New York 
when he was born and Fulton’s first steamboat experiment was made just 



IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


445 


prior to his biith. Although in the truest and best sense a great man, Mr. 
Whittier’s life, aside from the great events of his day and generation, has been 
remarkably calm. He did not flash into the literary skies like a meteor, to glide 
out of sight and be remembered only as a brilliant visitor, but he took hisqflace 
in the literary constellation of his country as a fixed star of the first magni¬ 
tude. The champion of right and the enemy of wrong he took hold of his 
life-work with a firm grasp and never faltered. In his literary lyrics he has 
written with a supreme energy. The larger events of history were to Whittier 
a portion of his own experience (his personal life being rather uneventful), 
and he was present in spirit in many a national conflict, comprehending 
the situation of affairs from his own quiet standpoint with remarkable clear¬ 
ness and common sense. He was a leader in moral battles, undefiled by 
hatred of the enemy, for the fire of his indignation would consume only what 
was evil, and he was able to discern between sin and the sinner, with judg¬ 
ment for the one and charity for the other. He was a model citizen as well 
as a patriot, and always took pains to so arrange his engagements that he 
might be at Amesbury on election day, and he was an acknowledged au¬ 
thority on local questions as well as a directing spirit in great public move¬ 
ments. The people in the vicinity of Amesbury, in fact, knew his politics 
much better than they knew his poetry, but he always wished to hear and 
know what interested his neighbors, and his benefactions were ceaseless, and 
were to him among the chief joys of his later life, while withal, he was the 
poet of America, expressing the highest ideals and purest thought in verse 
that appealed to the people by its simplicity and beauty, overflowing with the 
gracious sympathy of his pure heart and benevolent faith. He never doubted 
that all must turn to good in the end. What sorrows he comforted, what 
hopes he inspired, can only be inferred from the universal expressions of love 
and veneration evoked by his death. Statesmen sought counsel from him 
because of his remarkable wisdom and unerring intuition as to popular senti¬ 
ment, and he enjoyed the love and gratitude of the nation. 

In conversation he once said: “For myself, hope is always associated 
with dread. I feel, indeed, that love is victorious,—that there is no dark it 
cannot light, no depth it cannot reach, but I imagine that between the seen 




446 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


and the unseen there is a neutral ground—a land of shadow and mystery, of 
strange voices and undistinguished forms.” 

In faith and peace, as he had lived upon the earth he passed beyond 
the boundaries of this life. After a brief and almost painless illness, the soul 
was gently detached from the now frail body. He always loved the hour of 
dawn, and it was when the gates of the morning opened that he passed on to 
the perfect day. 


E. P. WHIPPLE. 


Edwin P. Whipple was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, March 8, 

1819. 

He was educated to business, first as a clerk in a bank at Salem, where 
he commenced work at the age of fifteen, then, three years later, at a bank 
in Boston, where he became chief clerk. He was also made superintendent 
of the reading room of the Merchants’ Exchange at the time of its founda¬ 
tion, a position he held till in 1860. 

Whipple’s literary record commenced at the age of twenty-one, when he 
delivered a humorous poem before the Mercantile Library Association of Boston. 
In 1850 he delivered a Fourth of July oration before the city authorities on 
“Washington and the Principles of the American Revolution.” In 1848 he 
published two volumes of “Essays and Reviews,” which at once established 
his reputation as a popular critic and essayist. The style was pleasing, and 
the judgment proved to be as good as that of any of the standard authori¬ 
ties. In the same year he published “Lectures on Subjects Connected with 
Literature and Life;” in 1860 he prefixed a life of Macaulay to an edition of 
his essays. In 1867 “Character and Characteristic Men” appeared; and 





IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


447 


“Literature in the Age of Elizabeth,” a course of lectures delivered before 
the Lowell Institute in 1869. 

Whipple is noted for his good taste, sound judgment, agreeable style; 

and he is one of the most popular of living writers. We are occasionally 

pleased to find a popular review of some author, from his ready pen, and we 
always accept it as reliable. The beauty of his style may be illustrated in a 
paragraph of his upon “The Influence of Books: ” 

“From the hour of the invention of printing, books, and not kings, 

were to rule the world. Weapons forged in the mind, keen-edged, and 

brighter than a sunbeam, were to supplant the sword and battle-axe. Books! 
lighthouses built on the sea of time! Books! by whose sorcery the whole 
pageantry of the world’s history moves in solemn procession before our eyes. 
From their pages great souls look down in all their grandeur, undimmed by 
the faults and follies of earthly existence, consecrated by time.” 


WALT WHITMAN. 


Walt Whitman was born in Westhills, Long Island, May 31, 1819, 
in a farm-house overlooking the sea. While yet a child his parents moved 
to Brooklyn, where he acquired his education. He learned type-setting at 
thirteen years of age. Two years later he taught a country school. He con¬ 
tributed to the “Democratic Review” before he was twenty-one years old. 
At thirty he traveled through the Western States, and spent one year in New 
Orleans editing a newspaper. Returning home he took up his father’s occu¬ 
pation of carpenter and builder, which he followed for a while. During the 
War of the Rebellion he spent most of his time in the hospitals and camps, 
in the relief of the sick and disabled soldiers. For a time he was a depart¬ 
ment clerk in Washington. 






448 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


In 1856 he published a volume entitled “Leaves of Grass.” This vol¬ 
ume shows unquestionable power, and great originality, and contains pas¬ 
sages of a very objectionable character, so much so, that no defense that is 
valid can be set up. His labors among the sick and wounded necessarily 
made great impressions; these took form in his mind and were published 
under the title of “Drum Taps.” 

His poems lack much of coming up to the standard of recognized 
poetic measure. He has a style peculiar to himself, and his writings are full of 
meaning, beauty and interest. Of his productions, Underwood says: “Pu¬ 
pils who are accustomed to associate the idea of poetry with regular classic 
measure in rhyme, or in ten-syllabled blank verse or elastic hexameters, will 
commence these short and simple prose sentences with surprise, and will 
wonder how any number of them can form a poem. But let them read 
aloud with a mind in sympathy with the picture as it is displayed, and they 
will find by nature’s unmistakable responses, that the author was a poet, 
and possessed the poet’s incommunicable power to touch the heart.” He 
died in Camden, N. J., March 20, 1892. 


K P. WILLIS. 


Nathaniel Parker Willis was born in Portland, Maine, January 20, 
1806, and died at Idlewild, near Newburgh, New York, January 21, 1867. 

His father was Nathaniel Willis, a noted journalist, who was born in 
Boston, in 1780, and who died there in 1870, at the advanced age of ninety. 
The father established and edited several different journals, and always with 
ability. In 1827 he established the “Youth’s Companion,” the first of the 
periodicals for the young, which he edited till in 1857. 

Nathaniel P. Willis inherited all of his father’s ability, which he 
increased many fold. He graduated at Yale Collet 1827. His author- 












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IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


451 


ship commenced while he was in college by the publication of a series of 
“Scriptural Sketches” in verse, and other poems. These sketches appeared 
under the signature of “Roy.” Upon graduating he was engaged at once by 
S. G. Goodrich, known as “ Peter Parley,” to edit the “Legendary” and the 
“Token.” In 1828 he started for himself by establishing the “American 
Monthly Magazine,” which was continued two years, then merged into the 
“ New York Mirror. ” The “Mirror ” had been established by George P. Morris, 
and Willis became associate editor. Soon after he visited Europe and wrote 
letters to that journal entitled “Pencillings by the Way;” these letters were 
collected into three volumes and published in London in 1835. In Paris he 
was made an attache of the American minister. After traveling through 
southern Europe, Turkey, and parts of Asia Minor he returned to England 
and in 1835 married a daughter of General Stace, commandant of the 
Woolwich arsenal. He also published “Melanie and Other Poems,” in 
1835; and “Inklings of Adventure” in three volumes, in 1836, being a 
series of tales and sketches which originally appeared in the “ New Monthly 
Magazine” under the pseudonym “Philip Slingsby.” 

In 1837 he returned to the United States, and for two years lived in 
retirement on a small estate which he named Glenmary, on the Susque¬ 
hanna, near Oswego, New York. In 1839 he became one of the editors of 
the “Corsair,” a short-lived literary gazette published in New York. Later 
in the same year he revisited England, where appeared two dramas pub¬ 
lished together under the title “Two Ways of Dying for a Husband: 1. 
Dying to Keep Him, or Tortesa the Usurer; 2. Dying to Lose Him, or 
Bianca Visconti,” in 1839; and “Letters from Under a Bridge, and Poems,” 
1840. Returning to New York he established, in 1844, in connection with 
George P. Morris, a daily newspaper called the “Evening Mirror;” but the 
death of his wife and his failing health led him to return to Europe. In 
this visit he published “ Dashes at Life with a Free Pencil, in three vol¬ 
umes, in 1845, being a collection of magazine articles. On returning to 
New York in 1846 he married a daughter of the Hon. Joseph Grinnell, of 
New Bedford, and settled at a seat on the Hudson which he named Idlewild. 
In the same year he published a complete edition of his works in one arge 




453 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


volume, and with Mr. Morris established the “Home Journal,” a weekly, to 
which he contributed till his death. 

His other works include “Rural Letters, and Other Records of Thought 
and Leisure,” published in 1849; “People I have Met,” 1850; ‘‘Life Here 
and There,” 1850; “Hurrygraphs,” 1851; “Fun Jottings, or Laughs I 
have Taken a Pen to,” 1853; “A Health Trip to the Tropics,” 1853; “A 
Summer Cruise in the Mediterranean in a United States Frigate,” 1853; 
“Famous Persons and Places,” 1854; “Out-Doors at Idlewild,” 1854; “The 
Rag Bag,” 1855; “Paul Fane, or Parts of a Life else Untold,” 1856; and 
‘The Convalescent,” 1860. In all, he has published twenty-seven volumes 
of prose and poetry. 

The beauty of his verse, both in thought and style, may be illustrated 
by his poem entitled 

THIRTY-FIVE. 

O weary heart! thou’rt half way home! 

We stand on life’s meridian height— 

As far from childhood’s morning come, 

As to the grave’s forgetful night. 

Give Youth and Hope a parting tear, 

Look onward with a placid brow— 

Hope promised but to bring us here, 

And Reason takes the guidance now— 

One backward look—the last—the last! 

One silent tear—for Youth ia past! 

Who goes with Hope and Passion back? 

Who comes with me and Memory on? 

Oh, lonely looks the downward track— 

Joy’s music hushed—Hope’s roses gone! 

To Pleasure and her giddy troop 
Farewell without a sigh or tear! 

But heart gives way and spirits droop, 

To think that Love may leave us here? 

Have we no charm when Youth is flown? 

Midway to death left sad and lone! 


Yet stay!—as ’twere a twilight star 
That sends its thread across the wave 




N. P. WILLIS. 































IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


455 


I see a brightening light, from far, 

Steal down a path beyond the grave! 

And now—bless (iod! its golden line 
Comes o’er—and lights my shadowy way— 

And shows the dear hand clasped in mine! 

But list what those sweet voicesfsay: 

‘ ‘The better land’s in sight, 

And, by its chastening light, 

All love from life’s midway is driven, 

Save her whose clasped hand will bring thee on to heaven!’’ 


WORDSWORTH. 


William Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, Cumberland County, 
England, April 7, 1770, and he died on April 23, 1850. He was buried by 
the side of his daughter in the beautiful churchyard of Grasmere. 

His father was law agent to Sir James Lowther, afterward Earl of 
Lonsdale, but he died when William was in his seventh year. 

The poet attended school first at Hawkshead School, then at Cam¬ 
bridge University. William was also entered at St. Johns in 1787. Hav¬ 
ing finished his academical course, Wordsworth, in 1790, in company with 
Mr. Robert James, a fellow-student, made a tour on the continent. With 
this friend Wordsworth made a tour in North Wales the following year, after 
taking his degree in college. He was again in France toward the close of 
the year 1791, and remained in that country about a twelvemonth. He had 
hailed the French Revolution with feelings of enthusiastic admiration. 

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive 
But to be young was very heaven. 

A young friend, Raisley Calvert, dying in 1795, left him a sum of 





456 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


£900. A further sum of about £1,000 came to him as a part of the estate 
of his father, who died intestate; and with this small competence Words¬ 
worth devoted himself to study and seclusion. 

In 1793, in his twenty-third year, he appeared before the world as an 
author, in “Descriptive Sketches” and “The Evening Walk.” The sketches 
were made from his tour in Switzerland with his friend, and the Walk was 
among the mountains of Westmoreland. 

In 1795 Wordsworth and his sister were living at Racedown Lodge, in 
Somersetshire, where, in 1797, they were visited by Coleridge. The meeting 
was mutually pleasant, and a life-long friendship was the result. The inti¬ 
mate relations thus established induced Wordsworth and his sister to change 
their home for a residence near Coleridge, at Alfoxen, near Neither Stowey. 
In this new home the poet composed many of his lighter poems, also the 
“Borderers,” a tragedy, which was rejected by the Covent Garden Theatre. 
In 1797 appeared his “Lyrical Ballads,” which also contained Coleridge’s 
“Ancient Mariner.” 

In 1798, in company with his sister and Coleridge, he went to Ger¬ 
many, where he spent some time at Hamburg, Batzeburg and Goslar. 
Returning to England, he took up his residence at Grasmere, in Westmore¬ 
land. In 1800 he reprinted his “Lyrical Ballads” with some additions, 
making two volumes. Two years later he married Mary Hutchinson, to 
whom he addressed the beautiful lines, “She was a Phantom of Delight.” 
In 1802, Wordsworth, with his sister and his friend Coleridge, visited Scot¬ 
land. This visit formed one of the most important periods of his literary 
life, as it led to the composition of some of his finest lighter poems. In 1805 
he completed the “Prelude, or Growth of my own Mind,” a poem written 
in blank verse, but not published till after the author’s death. In the same 
year he also wrote his “Waggoner,” but did not publish it till in 1819. At 
this time he purchased a cottage and small estate at the head of Ulleswater, 
for £1,000, Lord Lonsdale generously assisting him. In 1807 he published 
tv/o volumes of “Poems.” 

In the spring of 1813 he removed from Grasmere to Royal Mount, where 
he remained for the rest of his life, a period of thirty-seven years. Here 




IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


459 


were passed his brightest days. He enjoyed retirement and almost 
perfect happiness, as seen in his lines: 

Long have I loved what I behold, 

The night that calms, the day that cheers; 

The common growth of mother-earth 
Suffices me—her tears, her mirth, 

Her humblest mirth and tears. 

The dragon’s wing, the magic ring, 

I shall not covet for my dower, 

If I along that lowly way 

With sympathetic heart may stray, 

And with a soul of power. 

At the same time he commenced to write poems of a higher order, 
thus greatly extending the circle of his admirers.' In 1814 he published 
“The Excursion,” a philosophical poem in blank verse. By viewing man in 
connection with external nature, the poet blends his metaphysics with 
pictures of life and scenery. To build up and strengthen the powers of the 
mind, in contrast to the operations of sense, was ever his object. Like 
Bacon, Wordsworth would rather have believed all the fables in the Talmud 
and Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind—or that 
mind does not, by its external symbols, speak to the human heart. He 
lived under the habitual sway of nature: 

To me the meanest flower that blows can give 
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. 

The removal of the poet to Rydal was marked by an incident of consid¬ 
erable importance in his personal history. Through the influence of the 
Earl of Lonsdale, he was appointed distributor of stamps in the county of 
Westmoreland, which added greatly to his income without engrossing all of 
his time. He was now placed beyond the frowns of Fortune—if Fortune 
can ever be said to have frowned on one so independent of her smiles. The 
subsequent works of the poet were numerous—“ The White Doe of Rylstone, ” 
a romantic narrative poem, yet colored with his peculiar genius; “Sonnets 
on the River Duddon” “The Waggoner;” “Peter Bell;” “Ecclesiastical 
Sketches;” “Yarrow Revisited,” and others. His fame was extending rap- 



460 


IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


idly. The universities of Durham and Oxford conferred academic honors 
upon him. Upon the death of his friend Southey, in 1843, he was made 
Poet Laureate of England, and the crown gave him a pension of £300 per 
annum. Thus his income was increased and honors were showered upon 
him, making glad the closing years of his life. But sadness found its way 
into his household in 1847, caused by the death of his only daughter, Dora, 
then Mrs. Quillinan. Wordsworth survived the shock but three years, 
having reached the advanced age of eighty, always enjoying robust health 
and writing his poems in the open air. He died in 1850, on the anniversary 
of St. George, the patron saint of England. 


EDWARD YOUNG. 


Dr. Edward Young was born at Upham, in Hampshire, England, in 
1684, and died in 1765, at the advanced age of eighty-one. 

He commenced his education at Winchester School, and completed it 
at All Soul’s College, Oxford. From the character of the schools attended 
it will be seen that the poet had ample opportunities to acquire a thorough 
education. Young came forth from his studies a polished scholar, ambitious * 
for both literary and political fame. His youth is said to have been passed 
in gayety and dissipation, like that of Byron, but he lived to overcome youth¬ 
ful follies and gain full control of his powerful intellect. 

The poet published a satire on the “Universal Passion—the Love of 
Fame,” which was at once keen and powerful. When upwards of fifty, 
Young entered the church, wrote a panegyric on the king, and was made one 
of his majesty s chaplains. In 1730 he obtained from his college the living 
of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, where he was destined to close his days. The 






IN THE LITERARY WORLD. 


461 


poGj made a noble alliance with the daughter of the Earl of Lichfield, widow 
of Colonel Lee, which lasted ten years, and proved a happy union. The 
lady had two children by her first marriage, to whom Young was warmly 
attached. Both died; and when the mother also followed, Young composed 
his “Night Thoughts.” Sixty years had strengthened and enriched his 
genius, and augmented even the brilliancy of his fancy. In 1761 the poet 
was made clerk of the closet to the princess-dowager of Wales, and died four 
years afterward at the advanced age of eighty-one. 

It is seldom we find a man of Young’s literary genius and industry, 
whose life like his, was filled with worldly anxieties. He appears in his 
“Night Thoughts” as a humble and penitent Christian, and an accom¬ 
plished poetic artist. His works are numerous, but the best are the “Night 
Thoughts,” the “Universal Passion,” and the tragedy of “Revenge.” The 
foundation of his great poem was family misfortune, for 

Insatiate archer! could not one suffice? 

Thy shafts flew thrice and thrice my peace was slain. 

And thrice,,ere thrice yon moon had filled her horn. 

This rapid succession of bereavements was poetical license, for in one case 
there was an interval of four years, and in another of seven months. The 
“Night Thoughts” were published from 1742 to 1744. The gay Lorenzo is 
overdrawn. It seems to us a mere fancy sketch. Like the character of 
Childe Harold in the hands of Byron, it afforded the poet scope for dark and 
powerful painting, and was made the vehicle for bursts of indignant virtue, 
sorrow, regret, and admonition. This artificial character pervades the whole 
poem. But it still leaves to our admiration many noble and sublime pas¬ 
sages where the poet speaks as from inspiration of life, death and immor¬ 
tality. 

While we must look to- “Night Thoughts” as the foundation of Young’s 
fame, yet his satires, “Love of Fame, the Universal Passion, in Seven 
Characteristical Satires,” published from 1725 to 1728, are poems of high 
merit. 










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